ve no time to lose. There
is hard work to be done. I must be the first into the city."

"That you shall be, and without hard work, if you will follow me."

"Follow you? Do you know a way through the air over the walls?"

"No; but through the earth _under_ the walls. And I will show it you if
you give me a thousand solidi, and promise me a certain girl as booty."

Johannes stood still.

"You shall have what you like! Where is this way?"

"Here!" said Jochem, and struck the masonry with his hand.

"What? The aqueduct? How do you know?"

"I built it. A man can creep through it; there is no more water in it.
I have just come this way out of the city. The passage leads into an
old temple at the Porta Capuana. Take thirty men and follow me!"

Johannes looked sharply at him.

"And if you deceive me?"

"I will walk between your drawn swords. If I lie, kill me."

"Wait," cried Johannes, and hurried away.

CHAPTER IV.

Shortly afterwards Johannes again appeared, accompanied by his brother
Perseus and about thirty brave Armenian mercenaries, who carried,
besides their swords, short battle-axes.

"As soon as we are inside, Perseus," said Johannes, "you must break open
the sally-port to the right of the Porta Capuana at the moment when the
others unfold our flag upon the walls. At this signal my Huns, who wait
outside, will rush into the sally-port. But who keeps the tower at the
gate? Him we must have."

"Isaac, a great friend of the Edomites. He must die!"

"He dies!" said Johannes, and drew his sword. "Forward!"

He was the first to enter the passage of the aqueduct.

"Paukares and Gubazes, take the Jew between you. At the first
suspicion, down with him!"

And so, now creeping on all fours, now stooping and cautiously feeling
their way, in complete obscurity, the Armenians slid and crept after
Johannes, taking care not to make any noise with their weapons.

All at once Johannes cried in a low voice:

"Hold the Jew! down with him! Enemies! Arms! No, no; let him alone!" he
added quickly. "It was only a snake that rustled past me. Forward!"

"Now to the right," said the Jew; "here the passage leads into the
temple."

"What lies here?--bones?--a skeleton! I can bear it no longer! The
mouldy smell suffocates me! Help!" sighed one of the men.

"Let him lie! Forward!" ordered Johannes. "I see a star!"

"It is the daylight in Neapolis," said Jochem; "only a few steps more."