ndeed, he descended the terrace
towards the bridge, and he could hardly have done that. He has gone up
the hills, and they will help to put the past out of his mind. And,
talking of Jesus' early life in the cenoby, and of his knowledge of
flocks and suchlike, Hazael led Joseph through the long house and up
some steps on to a rubble path. The mountain seems to be crumbling,
Joseph said, and looked askance at the quiet room built on the very
verge of the abyss. Where thou'lt sleep when thou honourest us with a
visit, Hazael said, which will be soon, we trust, he continued; for we
owe a great deal to thee, as I have already explained, and now thou
com'st with a last gift--our shepherd.

On these words they passed under an overhanging rock which Joseph said
would fall one day. One day, replied the Essene, all the world will
fall, and I wish we were as safe from men as we are from this rock. Part
of the bridge over the brook is of wood and it can be raised. But the
ledge on which we live can be reached only from the hills by this path,
and it would be possible to raid us from this side. Thou seest here a
wall, a poor one, it is true; but next year we hope to build a much
stronger wall, some twenty feet high and several feet in thickness, and
then we shall be secure against the robbers if they would return to
their caves. We have little or nothing to steal, but wicked men take
pleasure in despoiling even when there is nothing to gain: our content
would fill them with displeasure, he said, as he sought the key.

But on trying the door it was found to be unlocked, and Joseph said: it
will be no use building a wall twenty feet high to secure yourself from
robbers if you leave the door unlocked. It was Jesus that left the door
unlocked, Hazael answered, he must have passed this way, we shall find
him on the hillside; and Joseph stood amazed at the uprolling hills and
their quick descents into stony valleys. Beyond that barren hill there
is some pasturage, Hazael said; and in search of Jesus they climbed
summit after summit, hoping always to catch sight of him playing with
his dogs in the shadow of some rocks, but he was nowhere to be seen, and
Hazael could not think else than that he had fallen in with Amos and
yielded to the beguilement of the hills, for he has known them, Hazael
continued, since I brought him here from Nazareth, a lad of fifteen or
sixteen years, not more. We shall do better to return and wait for him.
He will