y lives on the banks of that
river. Far away he saw the ruins of a great monastery, called Mar Saba,
which had for a long time been the abode of a religious community, and
which at the present day is still tenanted by a body of monks. Cuthbert
made up his mind at once to take refuge in these caves. He speedily
picked out one some fifty feet up the face of the rock, and
approachable only with the greatest difficulty and by a sure foot. First
he made the ascent to discover the size of the grotto, and found that
although the entrance was but four feet high and two feet wide, it
opened into an area of considerable dimensions. Far in the corner, when
his eyes became accustomed to the light, he discovered a circle of
ashes, and his conjectures that these caves had been the abode of men
were therefore verified. He again descended, and collected a large
bundle of grass and rushes for his bed. He discovered growing among the
rocks many edible plants, whose seeds were probably sown there centuries
before, and gathering some of these he made his way back to the cavern.
The grass furnished him with an excellent bed, and he was soon asleep.

CHAPTER XV.

A HERMIT'S TALE.

The next day he discovered on his excursions plenty of eatable berries
on the bushes; and now that he had no longer fear of hunger he resolved
to stay for some little time, until his wounds, which had festered
badly, had recovered, before making an attempt to rejoin the Christian
army.

One day when employed in gathering berries he was surprised by meeting a
wild-looking figure, who appeared suddenly from one of the caves. It was
that of a very old man, with an extremely long white beard flowing to
his waist; his hair, which was utterly unkempt, fell to the same point.
He was thin to an extraordinary extent, and Cuthbert wondered how a man
could have been reduced to such a state of starvation, with so plentiful
a supply of fruit and berries at hand.

The old man looked at Cuthbert attentively, and then made the sign of
the cross. Cuthbert gave a cry of joy, and repeated the sign. The old
man at once came down from his cavern, and looked at him with surprise
and astonishment, and then addressed him in the French language.

"Are you a Christian truly; and if so, whence do you come?"

Cuthbert at once explained that he had been taken prisoner when with
King Richard's army, and had effected his escape. He also told the old
man that he had been remaining