ies of food, and so numerous the
droves of animals brought into the city, that those within the walls had
no fear of famine. But so complete was the devastation of the country
that the prophet's troops began to suffer for want of food. Yet they
waited, as a suitable time of attack had not arrived. In the meantime
they were engaged in digging trenches as a protection to the troops.

Manasseh and Asru were much together. They had become like brothers, and
night after night they met on the citadel and looked out over the
strange scene that was presented to the inhabitants of Khaibar every
evening during the siege. For, daily, just as the sun was setting, the
whole Moslem army, with the prophet praying loudly at its head, set out
in solemn procession, then proceeded round and round the city until
seven circuits were completed, as in Tawaf at the Caaba.

Many among the more superstitious Jews of Khaibar and their few Koreish
adherents felt a thrill of awe as they looked upon this ceremony,
fearing that the prophet was again practicing his arts of enchantment
upon them; but the performance never failed to bring the smile of scorn
to Asru's lips.

"Blind fanatics!" he exclaimed one evening. "A precious set of idiots!"

But Manasseh looked serious. "Asru," he said, "of course, I do not
believe in all this; yet there is a something solemn in it to me. It
makes me think of the seven circuits made about Jericho, when the
priests blew upon the trumpets and the walls fell."

"Ah, but the voice of Jehovah gave the order then; now,"--and he smiled
contemptuously--"the commanding voice is that of Mohammed, the peaceful
Meccan trader, anon the gentle prophet of Allah, anon the blood-thirsty
vulture and cut-throat robber, destroyer of life and liberty."

"Verily, Asru the Moslem soldier has completely changed," returned
Manasseh, smiling.

"Aye, Manasseh, thanks to the peaceful Gospel of Jesus, Asru the Moslem,
the lover of war, would now fain see this fair land smiling with happy
homes and peaceful tillers of the soil. What is that about the child and
the cockatrice?"

"'And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the
weaned child shall lay its hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not
hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of
the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,'" quoted
Manasseh solemnly.

Asru looked thoughtfully out towards the distant hills, but he did n