Jesus baptize?  Joseph asked, since he is a disciple of the Baptist.  If baptism be good for him, it is good enough for another.  And so the multitude seemed to think, and were confounded till one amongst them said that Jesus might not be endowed with the gift of baptism; or belike have accepted baptism from John for a purpose, it having been prophesied that the Messiah would have a forerunner.  But who, asked many voices together, has said that Jesus is the Messiah? some maintaining that Jesus was the lesser prophet.  But this contention was not agreeable to all, some having, for, reasons unknown to Joseph, ranged themselves already alongside of Jesus, believing him to be greater than John, yet not the final prophet promised to Israel.  And these came to blows with the others, who looked upon John as the Messiah, and Jesus as the one whom John had called to his standard:  a recruit—­nothing.  Skinny fists were striving in the air and—­thrusting himself between two disputants—­Joseph begged them to tell him if Jesus, John’s disciple, was from the cenoby?  Yea, yea, he heard from all sides; the shepherd of the brotherhood—­that one who follows their flocks over the hills; but not being sure of his mission, he has gone into the desert to wait for a sign.  An Essene, but one that was seldom in the cenoby, more often to be met on the hills with his flocks.  A shepherd?  Joseph asked.  Yea, and it was among the hills that John met him, and seeing a prophet in him spoke to him, and Jesus, seeing that another prophet was risen up in Israel, had thrown his flute away and gone to the president to ask for leave to preach the baptism of repentance unto men, for the grand day is at hand.  Joseph having heard this before, heeded only tidings of the new prophet, when a woman pressing forward shouted:  a pleasant voice to hear on the mountain-side, said she; and another added:  the hills will seem lonely without his gait.  A great slinger, cried a third.  But why did he come to John for baptism, knowing himself to be the greater prophet?  A question that started them all wrangling again, and crying one against the other that repentance was necessary, or else the Lord would desert them or choose another race.

These are irksome gossips, a man said to Joseph; but come with me and I’ll tell thee much about him.  No better shepherd than he ever ranged the hills.  I wouldn’t have thee forget, mate, another man said, that he’s gone without leaving us his great cure for scab.  True for thee, mate, answered the first, for a great forgetfulness has been on him this time past....  A great cure, certainly, which he might have left us.  And the twain fell to discussing their several cures for scab.  Another shepherd came by and passed the remark that Jesus knew the hills like one born among them.  But neither could tell whence he came, nor did they know if he brought the cure for scab with him, or learnt it at the cenoby.  The brotherhood has secrets that it is forbidden to tell.  I be with thee on this matter, said another shepherd, that wherever he goes, he’ll be a prize to a master, for the schooling he has been through will stand to him.