s hear
horns sounded in many quarters, they will think that there must be
a large body of men assembled. This will make them slow and
cautious in all their movements; will force many to stand prepared,
with their arms, to guard those at work; and will altogether
confuse and puzzle them.

"And now, we will lie down and sleep; as soon as it is dawn, we
will be on foot again."

The next two days were spent in exploring that part of the
mountains: examining the direction, and extent, of each valley and
ravine; seeing where steep precipices afforded an opportunity for
rolling down rocks upon an enemy passing along the valley, or
trying to storm the height; in searching for pools in dried
watercourses; and in deciding upon a spot favorable for the camp.
They fixed upon a spot high up on the mountains, two miles east of
Abila, as their headquarters. It was in a pass between two peaks,
and gave them the option of descending either to the north or
south, or of skirting along the mountains towards the sources of
the Jabbok river, and thence crossing the Hermon range beyond the
limits of Peraea.

Jonas was sent, the first thing, to discover whether the Romans had
taken possession of Jabez Galaad; which lay but five miles from
Gamala, and on the southern side of the range of hills on whose
western spur Gamala was built. He returned, in a short time, saying
that he had found the inhabitants in a state of great alarm; for
that a Roman force could be seen, coming up the road from the
plain. Most of the fighting men of the town were in Gamala; the
rest, with the young women, were leaving, so that only old people
and children would be found in the town when the Romans arrived.
Jonas also brought word that Vespasian's whole army was moving
against Gamala.

John had given Jonas money, before he started, to purchase bows and
arrows. He had brought back bows for the whole party, and as many
arrows as he could carry.

"I paid nothing for them," he said, as he threw them down. "The man
who sold them was praying those who were leaving the town to take
them--for he thought that, if the Romans found them in his house,
they would destroy it--but no one listened. All were too busy, in
carrying off such of their household goods as they could take, to
burden themselves further; so he gladly gave me as many as I could
take. I carried off nearly all his bows; and I left him breaking up
the rest, and his store of arrows, in order to burn them