vast number of legionaries who did obeisance to this object. They
were offering worship to the Roman standards upon the ancient altar of
the God of Israel! Presently a figure rode before them attended by
a glittering staff of officers, to be greeted with a mighty shout of
"Titus _Imperator_! Titus _Imperator_!" Here on the sense of his triumph
his victorious legions named their general Caesar.

Nor was the fighting altogether ended, for on the roofs of some of
the burning cloisters were gathered a few of the most desperate of the
survivors of the Jews, who, as the cloisters crumbled beneath them,
retreated slowly towards the Gate Nicanor, which still stood unharmed.
The Romans, weary with slaughter, called to them to come down and
surrender, but they would not, and Miriam watching them, to her horror
saw that one of these men was none other than her grandfather, Benoni.
As they would not yield, the Romans shot at them with arrows, so that
presently every one of them was down except Benoni, whom no dart seemed
to touch.

"Cease shooting," cried a voice, "and bring a ladder. That man is brave
and one of the Sanhedrim. Let him be taken alive."

A ladder was brought and reared against the wall near the Gate Nicanor
and up it came Romans. Benoni retreated before them till he stood upon
the edge of the gulf of advancing fire. Then he turned round and faced
them. As he turned he caught sight of Miriam huddled at the base of her
column upon the roof of the gate, and thinking that she was dead, wrung
his hands and tore his beard. She guessed his grief, but so weak and
parched was she, that she could call no word of comfort to him, or do
more than watch the end with fascinated eyes.

The soldiers came on along the top of the wall till they feared to
approach nearer to the fire, lest they should fall through the burning
rafters.

"Yield!" they cried. "Yield, fool, before you perish! Titus gives you
your life."

"That he may drag me, an elder of Israel, in chains through the streets
of Rome," answered the old Jew scornfully. "Nay, I will not yield, and I
pray God that the same end which you have brought upon this city and its
children, may fall upon your city and its children at the hands of men
even more cruel than yourselves."

Then stooping down he lifted a spear which lay upon the wall and hurled
it at them so fiercely, that it transfixed the buckler of one of the
soldiers and the arm behind the buckler.

"Would that