ave as much food as you want,
and not go near that stepmother of yours, at all."

"And nobody will beat me, for telling you?" the boy asked.

"Certainly not, Jonas."

"It wouldn't take you beyond the Romans. They have got guards, all
round."

"No, but it might enable us to get down to the water," John urged,
the sight of the unemptied horn causing the thought to flash
through his mind that the boy had been in the habit of going down,
and getting water.

"Well, I will tell you," the boy said. "I don't like to tell,
because I don't think there's anyone here knows it, but me. I found
it out, and I never said a word about it, because I was able to
slip away when I liked; and no one knows anything about it. But it
doesn't make much difference, now, because the Romans are going to
kill us all. So I will tell you.

"At the end of the rock, you have to climb down about fifty feet.
It's very steep there, and it's as much as you can do to get down;
but when you have got down that far, you get to the head of a sort
of dried-up water course, and it ain't very difficult to go down
there and, that way, you can get right down to the stream. It don't
look, from below, as if you could do it; and the Romans haven't put
any guards on the stream, just there. I know, because I go down
every morning, as soon as it gets light. I never tried to get
through the Roman sentries; but I expect one could, if one tried.

"But I don't see how you are to bring water up here, if that's what
you want. I tell you, it is as much as you can do to get up and
down, and you want both your hands and your feet; but I could go
down and bring up a little water for you, in a skin hanging round
my neck, if you like."

"I am afraid that wouldn't be much good, Jonas," John said; "but it
might be very useful to send messages out, that way."

"Yes," the boy said; "but you see I have always intended, when the
Romans took the place, to make off that way. If other people go,
it's pretty sure to be found out, before long; and then the Romans
will keep watch. But it don't much matter. I know another place
where you and I could lie hidden, any time, if we had got enough to
eat and drink. I will show you but, mind, you must promise not to
tell anyone else. There's no room for more than two; and I don't
mean to tell you, unless you promise."

"I will promise, Jonas. I promise you, faithfully, not to tell
anyone."

"Well, the way down ain't far from the other one