The king Author:Marshall Monroe Kirkman Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III AMYNTAS' TRAGIC END "eye of Cyclops, what have we here?" Clear- chus cried out, as he reined in his horse, attracted by the tumultuous cries of... more » the throng that filled a narrow street the Companions were that moment passing. "Gods of Olympus, 'tis the sovereign Prince Amyntas pursued by the officers of Antipater!" Hephestion responded, angered at the spectacle. "And well it is so if half that's told of him concerning Philip's death be true," the other muttered. "But the piteousness of it, Clearchus—a Prince of royal blood to be thus hunted before the world!" Hephestion grieved. "Yes, better the old way, to strike them when asleep, or in some quiet corner where the world's eye does not reach and its protruding ears may be filled at leisure with specious tales of the ails that took them off," Clearchus dryly responded. "Surely, we have fallen on vulgar days, when princes are put to death thus openly," he laughed. " 'Tis not that, Clearchus, but Amyntas is so young and hath such great pretentions to the throne that treason seems to find excuse in him." 18 ALEXANDER THE KING "Fie on your soft heart! Death is ever the fate of those who have only pretentions to a throne! Why, you have not fingers and toes, Hephestion, on which to count the Macedonian princes who have met untimely deaths in vain attempts to climb the bloody steps or hold their feet once the height had been attained. And now comes Amyntas, young and comely, to make the venture, and failing, goes to join the bloody throng." 'And as he falls, Alexander, not less aspiring, forgetful of the past and risking all, rides forth afield, void of buckler or spear, to try if he may grasp what others had and could not hold," Hephestion murmured, a note of fear in his voice. "And being in the...« less