solute appearance of the band which filled the street.

"Who are you?" he asked John, imperiously.

"My name is John, and I am generally called John of Gamala,
although that is not my birthplace."

Simon uttered an exclamation of astonishment; for the tales of
John's attack upon the Roman camp at Gamala, and of his subsequent
actions against the Romans, were well known in Jerusalem.

"You are but a lad," Simon said, contemptuously, "and John of
Gamala must be a warrior!"

"I am John of Gamala," John repeated, quietly, "and these men are
part of my band. We have come down to defend Jerusalem, since there
is no more to be done in the open country. We wish to interfere
with none, to take part with no faction, but simply to defend the
city. We war with the Romans, and not with Jews. We assault no one,
but woe be to him who assaults us! Here are six hundred of us, each
man ready to die; and though you have twenty men to one, yet will
we withstand you, if you meddle with us.

"By tonight, the Romans will be outside the walls. Is this the time
that Jews should fall upon each other, like wild beasts?"

Simon hesitated. The idea of opposition excited him, as usual, to
fury but, upon the other hand, he saw that this determined body
were not to be overcome, save with great loss, and he wanted his
men for his struggles with the Zealots.

"You are not in correspondence with John of Gischala?" he asked,
doubtfully.

"I am in correspondence with none," John said. "As I have told you,
we come only to fight for Jerusalem; and will take no part, on one
side or other, in your dissensions. We have taken up this street,
between this gate and the Corner Gate, and this street we will
hold."

Simon still hesitated. He saw that, round this nucleus of
determined men, the whole of the citizens of the lower town might
gather; and that he might be forced to confine himself to the upper
town. This, however, would be of no great importance, now. The
inner, lower town was the poor quarter of Jerusalem. Here dwelt the
artisans and mechanics, in the narrow and tortuous lanes; while the
wealthier classes resided either in the upper town, where stood the
palaces of the great; or in the new town, between the second and
third walls.

The new town had, indeed, until lately been a suburb outside the
walls. Agrippa had begun the third wall--which was to inclose
this--and, had he been allowed to build it according to his design,
he would have ma