my--as miserable and
hang-head lot of fugitives as ever disgraced field!" said Asru
contemptuously. "By my faith, it shamed me to see our brave friends in
their company, even for the journey!"

"Why did they go to Mecca?"

"Because they were firmly convinced that Mecca will be the next point of
attack," said Asru, "but methinks they shall find themselves mistaken.
Mohammed will keep Mecca as a sort of sacred spot, dedicated to his
worship--and the worship of Allah!" with infinite scorn. "But Khaibar is
a pomegranate of the highest branches, too mellow, too luscious, too
tempting, to elude his grasp. Yes, Manasseh, Khaibar will be his next
point of attack. However, I am truly glad that Yusuf and Amzi have gone
home. The Jews and Christians in Mecca will be safe enough for some time
to come, and our friends are getting too old to endure much fatigue of
battle."

"Aye, Asru, you and I are better fitted to face the brunt of the charge
and the weariness of the march. The work of Yusuf and Amzi should be
milder, though not less glorious, than ours."

"You say well," returned the other, with kindling eye. "Asru, for one,
can never forget what they have done for him."

"Asru, are all the stories of the wickedness of your past life--your
cruelty, your treachery, your blasphemy--true?"

"Manasseh, let my past life go into the tomb of oblivion if you will.
'Tis a sorry page for Asru to look upon. The cruelty, the
blasphemy,--aye, boy, I was full of it; but treacherous, never! Whatever
Asru was, and no devil was blacker than he in many ways, he was never
guilty of perfidy, except you call the trying to free Amzi and poor
Dumah perfidy."

"I am glad," returned Manasseh, quietly; "yet it would not matter now,
since our Asru is a changed man."

Asru looked at the youth earnestly. "Manasseh," he said, "does the old
nature never come back upon you? Or have you never known what it was to
feel wrong impulses?"

"Wrong impulses!" exclaimed the other. "Yes, Asru, many and many a time.
Yet, when one does not even look at the evil, but keeps his face turned
steadfastly towards the right, the old self seems to lose its hold. In
drawing near to God we draw away from evil."

"Your words, I know, are true," returned the other; "yet the keeping
from doing wrong seems to me the hardest thing in living a Christian
life."

"But, Asru," said Manasseh, "perhaps you are not loving enough. The more
you love Jesus, and the more you feel him