hat fills me with
foreboding, as well as with pity. What agonies may not these poor
people be doomed to suffer, when the Romans lay siege to Jotapata?"

"They can never take it," Joab said, scornfully.

"I wish I could think so, Joab. When did the Romans ever lay siege
to a place, and fail to capture it? Once, twice, three times they
may fail but, in the end, they assuredly will take it."

"Look at its position. See how wild is the country through which
they will have to march."

"They have made roads over all the world, Joab. They will make very
short work of the difficulties here. It may take the Romans weeks,
or months, to besiege each of these strong places; but they will
assuredly carry them, in the end--and then, better a thousand times
that the men had, in the first place, slain the women, and rushed
to die on the Roman swords."

"It seems to me, John," Joab said stiffly, "that you are over bold,
in thus criticising the plans of our general."

"It may be so," John said, recklessly, "but methinks, when we are
all risking our lives, each man may have a right to his opinions. I
am ready, like the rest, to die when the time comes; but that does
not prevent me having my opinions. Besides, it seems to me that
there is no heresy in questioning the plans of our general. I love
Josephus, and would willingly give my life for him. He has shown
himself a wise ruler, firm to carry out what is right, and to
suppress all evildoers but, after all, he has not served in war. He
is full of resources, and will, I doubt not, devise every means to
check the Romans but, even so, he may not be able to cope, in war,
with such generals as theirs, who have won their experience all
over the world. Nor may the general's plan of defense, which he has
adopted, be the best suited for the occasion.

"Would you have us fight the Romans in the open?" Joab said,
scornfully. "What has been done in the south? See how our people
marched out from Jerusalem--under John the Essene, Niger of Peraea,
and Silas the Babylonian--to attack Ascalon, held by but one cohort
of Roman foot, and one troop of horse. What happened? Antoninus,
the Roman commander, charged the army without fear, rode through
and through them, broke them up into fragments, and slew till night
time--when ten thousand men, with John and Silas, lay dead.

"Not satisfied with this defeat, in a short time Niger advanced
again against Ascalon; when Antoninus sallied out again, and sl