the rest in reserve, until they were needed in a moment of extreme
peril. The manner in which the bands had held together, and had
steadfastly resisted the Roman attacks, had greatly excited the
admiration of Simon.

"I see now," he said, on the evening of the sortie, when talking
the matter over with John, "the secret of the successes you have
gained over the Romans. Your men fight as steadily, and with as
much discipline as they do; while they are far quicker in their
movements. They unite the activity of my men with the steadiness of
the Romans. I wish, now, that I had spent the last year in training
and disciplining my men, to act with equal steadiness and order;
but it is too late to try to do so, now. Each will do his best, and
will die fighting but, were I to attempt, now, to introduce
regularity among them, they would lose the fierce rush with which
they assault the Romans; without acquiring sufficient discipline to
enable them to keep their order, as yours do, in the confusion of
the battle."

"Mine are all picked men," John said. "I had eight thousand under
my orders, during the last two years of fighting; but I bade all
leave me, when I advanced to Jerusalem, save those who were ready
and prepared to die. Therefore, I can rely upon every man, as upon
myself.

"Unless I see some exceptional opportunity, I do not think I shall
lead them out beyond the walls again. The time will come, as the
siege goes on, when you will need a body of men to hold a breach,
or arrest the advance of a Roman column; men who will die, rather
than give way a foot. When that time comes, my band shall fill the
gap."

"I think you are right," Simon agreed. "Your men are too good to be
wasted in desultory fighting. They shall be kept as a last
resource; and I know that, when the time comes, they can be relied
upon."

The clearing of the ground occupied four days; and Titus then
determined to advance his camp nearer to the city, and fixed upon a
spot which was the highest on the plateau--a quarter of a mile to
the northwest of the Rubble Tower. Before moving into it, the
position was strongly fortified and, so much impressed was Titus,
by the sallies which the Jews had made, that he formed up his whole
army along the north and northwest side of the city. The
heavy-armed troops, three deep, were the first line. Behind them
came a rank of archers, and behind these the cavalry, three deep.

Brave as were the Jews, they did not vent