ot hear him might see; then holding them up,
all dripping wet, before the people, he exclaimed: "My hands are clean
from His blood. I accept no responsibility." He seized the staff,
broke it in two with his hands, and threw the pieces at Jesus's feet.

Then there arose a storm of jubilation; "Hail to thee, Pilate! Hail to
the Governor of the great Emperor! Hail to the great Governor of the
Emperor!"

The High Priests humbly bowed before him, and the guards seized the
condemned man.

CHAPTER XXXIV

The big cross, carried by insolent youths, swung to and fro above the
heads of the people. Every one tried to get out of the way of the
sinister thing; if a man, joking, thrust his neighbour towards it, he
pushed quickly back into the crowd with a shriek. And the unceasing
cry went on: "Hail to Pontius Pilate! To the cross with the Nazarene!"

Jesus was led from the hall into the courtyard, where His guards had to
protect Him from the fury of the mob. They led Him up to the cross.

A sentry appeared, and, violently swinging his arm, shouted; "No
execution can take place here! Away with Him! No execution can be
permitted here!"

"To Golgotha!"

When the youths found that they would have to take the cross back to
where they had fetched it, they let it fall to the ground, so that the
wood made a groaning noise, and then ran off.

"Let Him carry His own cross!" shouted several voices. The plan
commended itself to the guards; they unbound His hands, and placed the
cross on His shoulder. He staggered under the load. They beat Him
with cords like a beast of burden; He tottered along with trembling
steps, carrying the stake on His right shoulder, so that one arm of the
cross fell against His breast, held fast there by His hands. The long
stake was dragged along the ground. They had tied a cord round His
waist by which they led Him. They pulled Him along so violently that
He stumbled, and often fell. The crowd which followed tried to do
everything they could to hurt Him. So Jesus tottered along, bowed
under the heavy weight of the wood. His gown covered with street mud,
His head pierced by the thorns so that drops of blood trickled down His
unkempt hair and over His agonised face. Never before was so wretched
a figure dragged to the place of execution, never before was a poor
malefactor so terribly ill-treated on his way to death. And never
before had such dignity and gentleness been seen in the co