"The Persians," said he, "had a great objection to seeing figures on the walls of the temples, and when they overran Egypt they mutilated them in the way you perceive. Happily the sculptures were so numerous that they did not have sufficient time to destroy them all, or even a goodly portion of them.
"The early Christians, in their zeal for removing the evidences of paganism, continued the work which the Persians began. In some instances they plastered the figures over so as to conceal them, and thus unintentionally caused them to be preserved. Where the plaster is removed the figures are found in excellent condition."
It did not require a long time for the visit to the Temple of Esneh, as the curiosity of the travellers concerning Egyptian temples had somewhat diminished since their stay at Thebes, and the many explorations they had made. After seeing the temple they strolled through the town, and listened to the songs of a group of Arabs at the cafés which line the bank of the river near the landing-place.
Just as the whistle of the steamer gave the signal for continuing the journey, Frank's attention was attracted by what he pronounced a thing of beauty.
A THING OF BEAUTY.
It was not a girl, or a painting, or a temple, or even a scarabæus: it was a mule.
Both the boys pronounced it the handsomest beast of the kind they had seen in Egypt, and were sorry their time was so limited they could not study the animal closely. Its color was pure white, and Fred suggested that the mule was probably kalsomined every morning, and was evidently treated with great care.
The animal was the property of the governor, and his trappings were in keeping with his fine appearance. Some of the travellers regarded the saddle quite as much as they did the animal that carried it. Frank said he could understand why the Arabs are such excellent horsemen, when the saddles are so formed that it is very difficult to throw a rider out of them.