he saw
most in want of it--for the pressure of thirst was now heavy. The
Romans, from rising ground at a distance, had noticed the women
going daily with jugs to the cistern, whence the water was doled
out; and the besiegers directed their missiles to that point, and
many were killed, daily, while fetching water.

A dull despair now seized the Jews. So long as they were fighting,
they had had little time to think of their situation; but now that
the enemy no longer attacked, and there was nothing to do but to
sit down and suffer, the hopelessness of their position stared them
in the face. But there was no thought of surrender. They knew too
well the fate that awaited them, at the hands of the Romans.

They were therefore seized with rage, and indignation, when they
heard that Josephus and some of the principal men were thinking of
making an endeavor to escape. John, who had hitherto regarded his
leader with a passionate devotion--although he thought that he had
been wrong in taking to the fortified towns, instead of fighting
among the mountains--shared in the general indignation at the
proposed desertion.

"It is he who has brought us all here," he said to Jonas--who had
attached himself to him with dog-like fidelity--"and now he
proposes to go away, and leave everyone here to be massacred! I
cannot believe it."

The news was, however, well founded for, when the inhabitants
crowded down to the house--the women weeping and wailing, the men
sullen and fierce--to beg Josephus to abandon his intention, the
governor attempted to argue that it was for the public good that he
should leave them. He might, he said, hurry to Jerusalem, and bring
an army to the rescue. The people, however, were in no way
convinced.

"If you go," they said, "the Romans will speedily capture the city.
We are ready to die, all together--to share one common fate--but do
not leave us."

As Josephus saw that, if he did not accede to the prayers of the
women, the men would interfere by force to prevent his carrying out
his intentions, he told them he would remain with them; and
tranquillity was at once restored. The men, however, came again and
again to him, asking to be led out to attack the Romans.

"Let us die fighting," was the cry. "Let us die among our foes, and
not with the agonies of thirst."

"We must make them come up to attack us, again," Josephus said. "We
shall fight to far greater advantage, so, than if we sallied out to
attac