exclaimed Simon; "darkness also will serve to hide
the weakness of our force."

"Our brethren are now marshalling our warriors," said Judas; "all,
under God, depends upon silence, promptitude, decision. We fight for
our lives and our laws."

The leader turned to depart, but as he did so accidentally dropped
something on the ground. He stooped to raise and twist it rapidly
round his left arm, under the sleeve. The incident was so very
trifling that it scarcely drew the notice of Simon, though the thought
did flit across his mind that it was strange that his brother, on the
eve of battle, could pause to pick up anything so utterly valueless as
a slight skein of unbleached flax. It was valueless indeed, save from
the associations which, in the mind of him who wore it, were entwined
with every thread. That flax had been once used to tie together some
flowers long since dead; the flowers had been dropped into a grave of
martyrs; the light skein had fallen on the upturned sod unnoticed save
by the eyes of one. Perhaps it was from remembrance of the dead, or
perhaps it was because hopes regarding the living (hopes brighter and
sweeter than the flowers had been) seemed now bound up in that flaxen
strand, that Maccabeus fastened that skein round his arm as a precious
thing, when he would not have stooped to pick up a chaplet of pearls.

By the exertions of the five Asmonean brethren, the little Hebrew army
was rapidly put under arms, and prepared for the night attack. The
whole force was united as one forlorn hope. As moves the dark cloud in
the sky, so darkly and silently moved on the band of heroes, and, like
that cloud, they bore the thunderbolt with them.

Most of the Syrians on that eventful night were sunk in sleep, but not
all; in their camp some kept up their revels till late. All the
luxuries which fancy could devise or wealth could purchase were
gathered together at Emmaus to hide the grim front of war, so that the
camp by daylight presented the motley appearance of a bazaar with the
gay magnificence of a court. There sherbet sparkled in vases of
silver, and the red wine was poured into golden cups, chased and
embossed, in tents stretched out with silken cords. Garments bright
with all the varied tints of the rainbow, rich productions of Oriental
looms, robes from Tyre, shawls from Cashmere, blended with instruments
of warfare, swords, spears, and bucklers, the battle-axe and the
helmet. The sentry, pa