but Mark and Luke make no mention of it,
and, according to John, Jesus simply said to Peter, after the latter had
cut off the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant, 'Put up thy sword
into the sheath.' At any rate, I am not clear what I should have done
had he said it to me; but I know one thing, if I had been there when the
Saviour handed the sop to Judas, I should have dealt Iscariot such a
blow on the head that he wouldn't have had wit enough left to betray his
master. And just so I will strike down the traitor who leads a foe
against Toroczko, if he once comes within my reach."

"What traitor do you mean?"

"The one that the girl spoke of yesterday when she said, 'If a traitor
rises up from amidst your own people, then tremble!' I know whom she
meant now: with the insurgents is a man, lately come into notice, who
surpasses all his fellows in cruelty. He is our Iscariot."

"What makes you think so?"

"Because he calls himself Diurbanu. No genuine Wallachian would have
taken the nickname of his king, Decebalus. It is as if one of us should
call himself Attila. Now, then, Manasseh, I love you and am ready to
follow your lead. I shall never forget how you went up to Monastery
Heights and came back with our two brothers. You knew how to serve them
better than I. I would have avenged their death merely, but you saved
their lives. So, as you made peace with Moga and his people, you have a
right to ask us to keep it. Therefore we will demand no atonement from
them for Jonathan's death. But when we hear that Diurbanu and his men,
who know nothing about that peace and are no parties to it, are
advancing on Toroczko, then will be the time for us to act."

"And I will take a hand with you," declared Manasseh.

Therewith the two brothers clasped hands and embraced each other, after
which the men all returned to their homes.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE SPY.

Albeit the earth reeked with blood in those days, yet the spring of 1849
saw the flowers blooming in as great profusion as ever, as if God's
blessing had been vying with man's curse to see which should outdo the
other.

On a beautiful afternoon in May, Blanka and Anna, with Manasseh and
Aaron, were climbing a steep and tortuous mountain path. Manasseh had
his portfolio and some few other implements of his craft, while Aaron
carried the ladies' wraps and lunch-basket. With the exception of
iron-shod alpenstocks, none of the party were armed. The two men walked
o