p
being hard by, and quickly a call sounded. Then spur went to flank,
and the followers of the Jew passed in a quick rush and went thundering
off, Antipater at the head of their column. He rode to Athens in ill
humor and was at Piraeus three hours in advance of Arria and Appius.
The sun had set and the sea lay calm in a purple dusk. He went aboard
his trireme at once and called his pilot to him.

"Go find the vessel waiting here for one Appius of Rome," he commanded.

"It is she that lies near us," said the other.

"And you know her pilot?"

"Ay, 'tis Tepas the Idumaean. He knows the broad sea as one may know
his own vineyard."

"Bring him to me."

When Tepas came, Antipater took him aside and spread before him a chart
of the vast, purple sea which beat upon the shores of Hellas. He put
his finger on a little spot some leagues from the coast of Africa.

"Know you the Isle of Doom?" said he.

"Ay, 'tis a lonely heap of rocks."

"A roost of sea-birds," said the prince of Judea. "Know you who am I?"

"You are the son of Herod."

"And I go to be king of the Jews."

Antipater took from a bag many pieces of gold and heaped them on the
chart above the Isle of Doom.

"Would you earn this money, and much more?" he whispered.

"If you will but show me how," said Tepas, the fire of greed now
burning in his heart.

"Sail close to the Isle of Doom. There your trireme shall be leaking
and you shall desert her and seek refuge on the isle and wait for me.
You shall have ample store of provisions, and this treasure, and when I
come you shall have, also, three talents more and a home in Jerusalem,
and my favor as long as you live."

"But how long must I wait?"

"Not beyond, the ides of January, good man."

"Then I agree," said Tepas.

So was it with an evil man those days. If he were armed with power he
halted not between his plan and his purpose. There were, indeed, few
things so valued as to be above price.

But the cunning of the tempter was to lead his prey into further depths
of infamy. The prince took the hand of the sailor and whispered to him:

"If you would be a friend to me, then my enemies should be your
enemies." He paused a moment, looking into the eyes of the pilot and
tenderly patting his shoulder. It was like the guile of the black
leopard. Presently he continued:

"Now this young Roman is my enemy. If by any chance he, Appius, should
die before I come, you shall have six instead