will comb Galilee with teeth of steel for such as this. Yea, one
wounded and robbed brother hath spoken truly. Nor is this the worst.
The Sicarii, those murderers that do so grievously afflict the whole
province, these too ply their bloody business at the hands of Herod and
Annas. For no sooner have the pirates been caught than they give over
to Herod and Annas their booty except a small stipend. Then are these
murderers turned loose to get yet more booty for the accursed
bloodsuckers called priests and kings. Am I not of the household of
Herod? Do I not know of these things? And of virgins despoiled do I
not know?"

"Yea, yea--thou knowest!" The answer came sharply from a young
fisherman whose head was bound in a faded red turban and who carried
one arm in a sling.

"Yea! Yea!" cried several other voices. "Let Jael speak!"

"Oh, that Jael _might_ speak!" he answered fiercely. "That Jael
_might_ find tongue to curse those thrice accursed heathen who but
three days ago stole from him the maiden Sara. Oh, that he _might_
find words to speak her fate, for rather than be polluted by the
serpent touch of Belial, took she the bitter hemlock! Oh, that Jael
could know where her body lieth that a pile of stones might cover it
from open corruption! Behold--" and from his breast he took a cord
with a bit of cloth attached, which he held up. "Behold all that Jael
the fisherman hath left of his betrothed--a little _tallith_ found upon
the floor where she had struggled! And look! Look, thou!" and he
snatched from his head the dull red cloth which had bound an angry
wound and waved it with savage swiftness before the _kurios_. "Behold
all that is left of the father of Jael, the fisherman who followed the
call of the Gaulonite to liberty from oppression, nor was the head that
once this covering clung to, allowed its right to rot in a decent tomb.
What hast thou of help to offer the oppressed?" and with a sudden twist
he wrapped the cloth about his outstretched hand and held it toward the
_kurios_.

In a well controlled voice strongly contrasting with that of Jael, the
answer came. "If thou didst know the meaning of that which once didst
bind thy father's head, then would thy question have its answer. If
thou didst know the tongue the colors speak, the eyes of thy
understanding would be open. The white of the gens families and the
priests, hath it not from the hidden past meant 'washed' and 'set
apart' from th