in.
Stephanus, whose feeble sight could not reach so far as the plain at the
foot of the declivity, made Paulus report to him all that was going on
there, and with the keen insight of a soldier he comprehended the
centurion's plan. The troop led by Hermas passed by below the tower, and
the youth waved and shouted a greeting up to his father. Stephanus, whose
hearing remained sharper than his sight, recognized his son's voice and
took leave of him with tender and loving words in as loud a voice as he
could command. Paulus collected all the overflow of the old man's heart
in one sentence, and called out his blessings through his two hands as a
speaking-trumpet, after his friend's son as he departed to battle. Hermas
understood; but deeply as he was touched by this farewell he answered
only by dumb signs. A father can find a hundred words of blessing sooner
than a son can find one of thanks.

As the youth disappeared behind the rocks, Paulus said, "He marches on
like an experienced soldier, and the others follow him as sheep follow a
ram. But hark!--Certainly--the foremost division of the Pharanites and
the enemy have met. The outcry comes nearer and nearer."

"Then all will be well," cried Stephanus excitedly. "If they only take
the bait and let themselves be drawn on to the plateau I think they are
lost. From here we can watch the whole progress of the battle, and if our
side are driven back it may easily happen that they will throw themselves
into the castle. Now not a pebble must be thrown in vain, for if our
tower becomes the central point of the struggle the defenders will need
stones to fling."

These words were heard by several of the anchorites, and as now the
war-cries and the noise of the fight came nearer and nearer, and one and
another repeated to each other that their place of refuge would, become
the centre of the combat, the frightened penitents quitted the posts
assigned to them by Paulus, ran hither and thither in spite of the
Alexandrian's severe prohibition, and most of them at last joined the
company of the old and feeble, whose psalms grew more and more lamentable
as danger pressed closer upon them.

Loudest of all was the wailing of the Saite Orion who cried with uplifted
bands, "What wilt Thou of us miserable creatures, O Lord? When Moses left
Thy chosen people on this very spot for only forty days, they at once
fell away from Thee; and we, we without any leader have spent all our
life in Thy se