Pentuer, seeing that Tehenna remained unconscious, knelt near him and bent above his head so that no one saw what he was doing. Soon Tehenna sighed, struggled, and opened his eyes; then he sat up, rubbed his forehead, as if roused from a deep steep, which had not yet left him.
"Tehenna, leader of the Libyans, Thou and thy people are prisoners of his holiness," said Ramses.
"Better slay me here," said Tehenna, "if I must lose my freedom."
"If thy father, Musawasa, will submit and make peace with Egypt, Thou wilt be free and happy."
The Libyan turned his face aside, and lay down careless of everything; he seemed to be sleeping.
He came to himself, in a quarter of an hour, somewhat fresher. He gazed at the desert and cried out with delight: on the horizon a green country was visible, water, many palms, and somewhat higher, a town and a temple.
Around him all were sleeping, both Asiatics and Libyans. But Pentuer, standing on a rock, had shaded his eyes with his hand and was looking in some direction.
"Pentuer! Pentuer!" cried Ramses. "Dost Thou see that oasis?"
He sprang up and ran to the priest, whose face was full of anxiety.
"Dost Thou see the oasis?"