over the sacrifice, the "_covenant_"
sign floated in white amid the blood-red cloud. Another movement and
the red cloud melted away, but like a quivering golden light the "Sign"
remained an instant hovering over the altar. When that, too, melted,
it was seen that not a vestige of the lamb was left.

Awed and silent, the onlookers wondered! For a moment George Bullen
was puzzled. Then he recalled the words of prophecy, as regarded The
Anti-christ.

"_His coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs
and lying wonders . . . And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh
fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles
which he had power to do._"

The greatest tribute that could have been given to the supernatural
power exhibited by Apleon, was the awed silence, and the bowed heads of
all who had witnessed his satanic miracle.

Its effect upon Cohen and the rest of the Jews, was, if possible,
greater than upon any of the Gentiles who had witnessed the wonder.

Upon the awed silence there suddenly fell a deep growl of thunder. The
startled people lifted their heads. With almost an instantaneousness,
the heavens darkened. It might well have been a moonless midnight, so
dark did it suddenly become.

The thunders roared and cannonaded, while fierce lightnings, like
liquid fires, raced earthwards down the blackened heavens. No one,
native of the land, or foreigner, had ever known thunder or lightning
such as now broke upon them.

For days afterwards men were as deaf as though born thus, stunned by
the thunder; and scores lost their sight from the lightning's flash,
never to recover it again.

As sudden as the darkness, there now came a hurricane blast that tore
at the Temple walls as if it would hurl its gold and marbles into the
valley below. No man could keep his footing in the courtyard or on
that summit, and everyone flung themselves prone to the earth--save
Apleon. He stood smiling his sardonic, contemptuous smile.

Cohen and a few others crawled towards the wide, folding-doors of the
Temple. But the hurricane was before them, and the doors slammed to,
and, in some way jammed.

The horses started in stampede, terrified by the storm. Apleon spoke
the one word "Soh!" and they stood absolutely still, save for a long,
shuddering kind of shiver that ran through each beast at the same
instant.

Now,