e street which passed
Pilate's house, and as they went they cried to him with riotous
laughter, "Thou shalt become a laughing stock for the whole nation!"

Balbus said unto him scoffingly, "Make haste! Thy disciples are quite
ready to proclaim thee King of Israel."

And the soldiers laughed as they said, "Thou hast often dreamed of
this; is it not so?"

Then said Selpha, "Caiaphas will soon explain this dream to him."

And Balbus, seeing that Jesus opened not his mouth, and was silent,
shouted in his ear, "Dost thou hear? Caiaphas will announce to thee
thy exaltation to a high position!"

A great burst of hoarse laughter from the watch followed, as they
shouted, "An exalted position between heaven and earth!"

"Look out, you fellows!" cried Selpha, "there through the hall of
Pilate's lies our nearest way to the palace of Caiaphas. There,
station yourselves in the courtyard until further orders."

The soldiers answered, "Thy command shall be fully obeyed!"

Hardly had the noisy soldiery passed with their prisoner out of the
street than Peter and John appeared before the house of Annas. Then
said Peter, "How will it fare here with our good master? Oh, John, how
anxious I am about him!"

John answered, "He is certain to have to suffer here scorn and ill
treatment. I am very much afraid of approaching the house."

Peter said, "But it is so silent about here."

John replied, "One hears not a sound in the place. Could they have
taken him away again?"

As they were talking Esdras came out from the house of Annas and asked,
"What do you want at the palace at this time of night?"

John answered, "Forgive us; we saw a number of people from afar come
hither from the Kedron Gate, and we came here in order to see what had
happened."

Esdras answered, "They have brought in a prisoner, but he has already
been sent to Caiaphas."

"To Caiaphas," said the disciples, "then we will go away at once."

"You had better, otherwise I will have you taken, up as night
brawlers," said Esdras.

"We will go away quietly and make no disturbance," said Peter, meekly.

As they went the priest, looking after them, said, "Perhaps they are
followers of the Galilean. If I only knew. However, they will not
escape our people if they go to the palace of Caiaphas. The whole of
his following must be destroyed. Otherwise the people will never be
brought into obedience." He then returned into the house.

CHAPTER V.

PET