78 TWO PERSIAN SCHOOLBOYS, and there a heavily laden camel moved slowly by, and ‘the next instant a soldier of the king’s bodyguard ‘dashed past in his superb uniform —a gold cuirass, purple surcoat, and high Persian cap, the gold scab- bard of his sword and the gold apple on his lance-tip flashing in the sun. High above the topmost roofs of even the lofty ‘towers on the walls rose the great sanctuary of the Magi, * the immense Temple of Bel, visible in all ‘quarters of the city, and seen for miles from every . part of the flat plain on which Babylon stood. The huge staircase wound like a serpent round and round the outside of the building to the highest story, which contained the sanctuary itself and also the observatory whence the priests studied the stars. Otanes and Smerdis, chatting eagerly together, rode on as fast as the crowd would permit, and soon reached one of the gates in the huge walls that defended the city. These walls, seventy-five feet high, and wide enough to allow two chariots to drive abreast, were strengthened by two hundred and fifty towers, except ‘on one side, where deep marshes extended to their base. Beyond these marshes lay the hunting-grounds, and the party, turning to the left, rode for a time over a smooth highway, between broad tracts of land sown with wheat, barley and sesame. Slender palm-trees cov- ered with clusters of golden dates were seen in every direction, and the sunbeams shimmered on the canals and ditches which conducted water from the Eu- phrates to all parts of the fields. Otanes’ horse suddenly shied violently as a rider, mounted on a fleet steed, and carrying a large pouch, dashed by like the wind. “One of the Augari bearing letters to the next sta- tion!” exclaimed Smerdis. “See how he skims along. Hi! If I were not to be one of the king’s bodyguard, I’d try for an Augar’s place. How he goes! He’s almost out of sight already.” “ Flow far apart are the stations?” asked Otanes. “Eighteen miles. And when he gets there, he’ll just toss the letter bag to the next man, who is sitting on a fresh horse waiting for it, and away fe’ go like lightning. That’s the way the news is carried to the very end of the empire of our lord the King.” “Must be fine fun,” replied Otanes. “ But see, there’s the gate of the hunting-park. Now for the lion,” he added gayly. “May Ormuzd f save you from meeting one, my 'The Magi were the Persian priests. +The principal god of the Persians, young master,” said the old servant Candaules. “Luckily it’s broad daylight, and they are more apt to come from their lairs after dark. Better begin with smaller game and leave the lion and wild boars to your father.” “Not if we catch sight of them,” cried Otanes, settling his shield more firmly on his arm, and urging his horse to a quicker pace, for the head of the long train of attendants had already disappeared amid the dark cypress-trees of the hunting park. The immense enclosure stretching from the edge of the morasses that bordered the walls of Babylon far into the coun- try, soon echoed with the shouts of the attendants beating the coverts for game, the baying of the dogs, the hiss of lances and whir of arrows. Bright-hued birds, roused by the tumult, flew wildly hither and thither, now and then the superb plumage of a bird of paradise flashing like a jewel among the dense foliage of cypress and nut-trees. Hour after hour sped swiftly away; the party had dispersed in different directions, following the course of the game; the sun was sinking low, and the slaves were bringing the slaughtered birds and beasts to the wagons used to convey them home.