ink you?" said he, his voice full of wonder. "I doubt not the
sound is in our fancy."

"See! The star! It grows!" said David, eagerly. "'Tis like a mighty
lantern hung in the dome of the sky."

Then said Vergilius, a pagan fancy filling his mind: "It may be God is
walking upon the earth."

A moment they rode on, looking up at the heavens. Suddenly Vergilius
bade them halt again, saying: "Hist! What is that cry?"

Now they could hear a faint halloo far behind them.

Then the bearer of the colors remarked: "It might be the squad of
Manius."

"God curse him!" said Vergilius, quickly, his heart filling with
passion dark as the night around. He heard no more the great song, but
only the smite of steel in deadly combat. He seemed to see his enemy
fall bleeding at his feet. "I will take what Herod offers," he
thought. "I will make war on the cats and the serpents."

He had forgotten everything now save his bitterness.

"See! 'Tis gone!" said his friend, in a loud whisper. "The star is
gone! I saw it disappear as if a cloud were suddenly come over it."

All drew rein, looking into the sky. Many stars were now uncovered in
the vault above them.

"'Twas a light on the hills," said Vergilius, with a vague fear in him.
"Yonder I can see a smaller one. 'Tis a lantern. Look! It moves."

Suddenly they were startled by a mighty voice that seemed to travel far
into dark and lonely caverns of the sky. Like a trumpet-call it
resounded over the gloomy hills---that cry of the camel-rider:

"Where is he that is born king of the Jews?"

Vergilius whispered, his awe returning: "They are coming--those men who
rode the camels."

Said David, his voice trembling: "They are like many who have gone
abroad with that ancient hope in them."

The horsemen now stood, breathing low as they listened. Vergilius was
full of wonder, thinking of the awe which had fallen upon him and the
others. He tried to throw it off. "We waste time," said he, starting
his charger. "Come, good men, we have work to do."

Awhile they rode in silence, their eyes on the light of the lantern.
Slowly they came near, and soon saw its glow falling upon rocks and
moving shadows beneath it.

Then said David, turning to Vergilius: "The battle--suppose it goes ill
with you?"

"Ill!" said the Roman, with rising ire. "Then Jehovah is no better
than Mars."

They could now see people standing in the light of a lantern which hung
above the entr