. I will show it
you, one of these days. I went down there, once, to get a hawk I
had taken from the nest, and tamed. I went down, first, with a rope
tied round me; but I found I could have done it without that--but I
didn't tell any of the others, as I wanted to keep the place to
myself.

"You climb down about fifty feet, and then you get on a sort of
ledge, about three feet wide and six or seven feet long. You can't
see it from above, because it's a hollow, as if a bit of rock had
fallen out. Of course, if you stood up you might be seen by someone
below, or on the hill opposite; but it's so high it is not likely
anyone would notice you. Anyhow, if you lie down there, no one
would see you. I have been down there, often and often, since. When
she gets too bad to bear, I go down there and take a sleep; or lie
there and laugh, when I think how she is hunting about for me to
carry down the pails to the stream, for water."

"I will say nothing about it, Jonas, you may be quite sure. That
place may save both our lives. But the other path I will tell
Josephus about. He may find it of great use."

Josephus was indeed greatly pleased, when he heard that a way
existed by which he could send out messages. Two or three active
men were chosen for the work; but they would not venture to descend
the steep precipice, by which Jonas made his way down to the top of
the water course, but were lowered by ropes to that point. Before
starting they were sewn up in skins so that, if a Roman sentry
caught sight of them making their way down the water course, on
their hands and feet, he would take them for dogs, or some other
animals. Once at the bottom, they lay still till night, and then
crawled through the line of sentries.

In this way Josephus was able to send out dispatches to his friends
outside, and to Jerusalem; imploring them to send an army, at once,
to harass the rear of the Romans, and to afford an opportunity for
the garrison of Jotapata to cut their way out. Messages came back
by return and, for three weeks, communications were thus kept up;
until one of the messengers slipped while descending the ravine
and, as he rolled down, attracted the attention of the Romans who,
after that, placed a strong guard at the foot of the water course.

Until this discovery was made, Jonas had gone down regularly, every
morning, and drank his fill; and had brought up a small skin of
water to John, who had divided it among the children whom