Transfiguration brightened the small dusky face.  He put up his hands for that blessing that was a part of his farewell.

“May my God supply all thy need according to his riches in glory, by Jesus Christ.  Amen!”

Titus, with a bowed head, touched his horse, and in response to a silent flash of an uplifted sword the picked six hundred of Caesar’s army rode on in the subdued thunder of hoof and the music of jingling harness toward Jerusalem.

After a long time there came the quick patter of a running flock and the multitudinous complaint of lambs, and up from the east rushed the mob of sheep.  Behind them trotting comfortably were the mounted scouts.  The ten privates wore scornful countenances highly expressive of their contempt for the unwarlike restitution they had been forced to make, but as they rode past when the sheep swept out of the road to their tender, Sergius, the decurion, dropped back and with his tongue in his cheek made such jovial threatening signs that the little shepherd laughed again.

The squad galloped after the main body and were lost to view.  Many of the Jews called to the little shepherd, but after a time travel was resumed on the road and deep monotonous composure settled upon the valley again.

But Joseph, the Christian, turned into the high grass of the meadow with bowed head and clasped hands.

“Lord Jesus, what may I do for Thee?” he asked impulsively.

He stopped suddenly.  At his feet lay the silent sleeper in the grass.  On the tall growth upstanding about the prostrate form were clear shining scarlet drops.  The little shepherd turned white and threw himself down on his knees beside the still figure and put his hand over the heart.  Then he lifted his face to the skies.

“I was sick and ye visited me,” he whispered radiantly.

[Illustration:  He threw himself down by the still figure.]

Chapter VIII

GREEK AND JEW

Julian of Ephesus, now the presumptive Philadelphus Maccabaeus, rode up the broad brown bosom of a hill that had confronted him for miles to the south, and the sun had sloped until its early spring rays struck level from the west.  At the summit, he drew up his horse suddenly with a quick intaking of the breath.

Below him lay Jerusalem.

South and east the barren summits of brown hills shaped a depression in which the city lay.  North, clean-white and regular, the wall of Agrippa was printed against the cold blue of the sky.  Below on three lesser mounts and overflowing the vales between was the goodliest city in all Asia.