the charging chariots, and the squadrons of impetuous horse.
The firmament had become a battle-ground, and lo! it was red as with
the blood of the fallen, while the air was full of strange and dreadful
sounds, bred, perhaps, of wind and distant thunder, that came to them
like the wail of the vanquished and the dull roar of triumphant armies.
So terrified were they at the sight, that they crouched upon the ground
and hid their faces in their hands. Only old Benoni standing up, his
white beard and robes stained red by the ominous light, cried out that
this celestial scene foretold the destruction of the enemies of God.

"Ay!" said Nehushta, "but which enemies?"

The tall Caleb, marching on his round of the camp, echoed:

"Yes, which enemies?"

Suddenly the light grew, all these fantastic shapes melted into a red
haze, which sank down till Jerusalem before them seemed as though she
floated in an ocean of blood and fire. Then a dark cloud came up and for
a while the holy Hill of Zion vanished utterly away. It passed, the blue
sky reappeared, and lo! the clear light streamed upon her marble palaces
and clustered houses, and was reflected from the golden roofs of the
Temple. So calm and peaceful did the glorious city look that none would
have deemed indeed that she was already nothing but a slaughter-house,
where factions fought furiously, and day by day hundreds of Jews
perished beneath the knives of their own brethren.

Caleb gave the word to break their camp, and with bodies shivering in
the cold and spirits terrified by fear, they marched across the rugged
hills towards the Joppa gate, noting as they passed into the valley
that the country had been desolated, for but little corn sprang in the
fields, and that was trodden down, while of flocks and herds they saw
none. Reaching the gate they found it shut, and there were challenged by
soldiers, wild-looking men with ferocious faces of the army of Simon of
Gerasa that held the Lower City.

"Who are you and what is your business?" these asked.

Caleb set out his rank and titles, and as these did not seem to satisfy
them Benoni explained that the rest of them were fugitives from Tyre,
where there had been a great slaughter of the Jews.

"Fugitives always have money; best kill them," said the captain of the
gate. "Doubtless they are traitors and deserve to die."

Caleb grew angry and commanded them to open, asking by what right they
dared to exclude him, a high office