elf safely, he was forced to admit, at the
foot of the hills over against Jericho. Another toiling ascent was
begun, and Joseph felt a trickle of rain down his spine, while the mule
seemed to debate with himself whether shelter was to be sought, and
spying a rock a little way up the hillside he trotted straight to it and
entered the cave--the rock projected so far beyond a hill that it might
be called a cave, and better shelter from the rain they could not have
found. A wonderful animal, thou'rt surely, knowing everything, Joseph
said, and the mule shook the rain out of his long ears, and Joseph stood
at the mouth of the cave, watching the rain falling and gathering into
pools among the rocks, wondering the while if this land was cast away
into desert by the power of the Almighty God because of the worship of
the Golden Calf; and then remembering that it was cast into desert for
the sins of the cities of the plain, he said: how could I have thought
else? As soon as this rain ceases we will go up the defile and at the
end of it the lake will lie before us deep down under the Moab
mountains. He remembered too that he would have to reach to the cenoby
before the day was over, or else sleep in Jericho.

The sky seemed to be brightening: at that moment he heard footsteps. He
was unarmed and the hills were infested by robbers. The steps continued
to approach....

His hope was that the man might be some innocent shepherd in search of a
lost ewe: if he were a robber, that he might pass on, unsuspicious of a
traveller seeking shelter from the rain in a cave a little way up the
hillside. The man came into view of the cave and stood for some time in
front of it, his back turned to Joseph, looking round the sky, and then,
like one who has lost hope in the weather, he hastened on his way. As
soon as he was out of sight, Joseph led out his mule, clambered into the
saddle, and digging his heels into the mule's sides, galloped the best
part of a mile till he reached the Roman fort overlooking the valley. If
a robber was to emerge, a Roman soldier would speedily come to his
assistance; but behind him and the fort were some excellent
lurking-places, Joseph thought, for robbers, and again his heels went
into his mule. But this time, as if he knew that haste was no longer
necessary, the mule hitched up his back and jangled his bells so loudly
that again Joseph's heart stood still. He was within sight of Jericho,
but half-way down the desc