above, yes, and the empty air between earth and sky, further
than the eye could reach, stood, rank upon rank, all the countless
million millions of mankind, all the millions that had been and were yet
to be, gazing, every one of them, anxiously and in utter silence upon
the scarred and naked Rock of Sacrifice. Now upon the rock there grew
a glory so bright that at the sight of it all the million of millions
abased their eyes. And from the glory pealed forth a voice of a trumpet,
that seemed to say:

"This is the end and the beginning, all things are accomplished in their
order, now is the day of Decision."

Then, in her dream, the sun turned red as blood and the stars seemed
to fall and winds shook the world, and darkness covered it, and in the
winds and the darkness were voices, and standing upon the rock, its arms
stretched east and west, a cross of fire, and filling the heavens above
the cross, company upon company of angels. This last vision of judgment
passed also and Miriam awoke again from her haunted, horror-begotten
sleep, to see the watch-fires of the Romans burning in the Court of
Women before her, and from the Court of Israel behind her, where they
were herded like cattle in the slaughterer's yard, to hear the groans of
the starving Jews who to-morrow were destined to the sword.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE DEATH-STRUGGLE OF ISRAEL

Now the light began to grow, but that morning no sun rose upon the sight
of the thousands who waited for its coming. The whole heaven was dark
with a gray mist that seemed to drift up in billows from the sea,
bringing with it a salt dampness. For this mist Miriam was thankful,
since had the sun shone hotly she knew not how she would have lived
through another day. Already she grew very weak, who had suffered so
much and eaten so little, and whose only drink had been the dew, but she
felt that while the mist hid the sun her life would bide with her.

To others also this mist was welcome. Under cover of it Caleb approached
the gateway, and although he could not ascend it, as the doors were
locked and guarded, he cast on to its roof so cleverly, that it fell
almost at Miriam's feet, a linen bag in which was a leathern bottle
containing wine and water, and with it a mouldy crust of bread,
doubtless all that he could find, or buy, or steal. Kneeling down,
Miriam loosed the string of the bag with her teeth and devoured the
crust of bread, again returning thanks that Caleb had been mo