and a half of the kid which he fell
greedily upon, while holding his sword aloft in his right hand. With
hungry teeth the soldiers tore the flesh from the bones, spewing such
as they did not want on to the floor, and devouring the tender, until
their cheeks shone like ruddy apples and their beards were drabbled
with gravy. Then they dropped the remains on the floor and with their
boot toes rubbed them over the mud that had dropped from their heels.
When the flesh was well covered with filth, the two halves of the
carcass were lifted by the sword point and flung back on the table with
the words, "A feast they would have!" The soldiers cast their eyes
over the angry but silent company, and broke into roars of laughter.

"A flock of sacred goats!" one said.

"Nay--by the stink of them, fish long rotten. Let us go hence! Ugh!"
and pinching their noses, the soldiers left the abode.

There was silence in the room for a moment before the _kurios_ said in
low tones, holding his hand toward the door to enjoin caution, "What
think ye, men of Galilee--needest thou a Brotherhood?"

"Yea--yea," came like a growl from the throats of the company.

"And who wilt thy leader be?"

All eyes were turned to James as his name was spoken.

"This night hast thou seen the fruit of the tree of oppression. What
sayest thou?"

With the light of indignation in his eye and the tremor of wrath in his
voice, the master of the house said, "In the words of one greater than
I, 'Let the ax be laid at the roots of the tree.' And this also do I
say, Go to, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall
come upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments
moth-eaten! Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them
shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were
fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days! Behold!
The hire of the laborers who have reaped down thy fields, which you
kept back by fraud, crieth, and the cries of them which have reaped
have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth! Ye have lived in
pleasure on the earth and been wanton! Ye have nourished thy hearts as
in a day of slaughter! Ye have condemned and killed the just!" Then
addressing his words more closely to those about the table he said, "Be
patient, therefore, brethern, unto the coming of the Lord. Be patient,
for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh--draweth nigh."

The Hallelujah, "My soul doth magn