over his mouth and attempted to throw him over backward.

It was very late, and there was no one in sight. Philip said to himself:
"This is the attack of which I was warned." He was taken altogether by
surprise, but being active and self-possessed, he sharply threw himself
forward, repelling his assailant's attack, and succeeded in pulling the
man's hand away from his mouth. His first second's instinct was to cry
out for help; his next was to keep still. He suddenly felt the other
giving way. The strength seemed to be leaving him. Philip, calling up
some of his knowledge of wrestling gained while in college, threw his
entire weight upon him, and to his surprise the man offered no
resistance. They both fell heavily upon the ground, the man underneath.
He had not spoken and no one had yet appeared. As the man lay there
motionless, Philip rose and stood over him. By the dim light that partly
illuminated the court from a street lamp farther on, he saw that his
assailant was stunned. There was a pump not far away. Philip went over
and brought some water. After a few moments the man recovered
consciousness. He sat up and looked about in a confused manner. Philip
stood near by, looking at him thoughtfully.

CHAPTER XIX.

As the man looked up at Philip in a dazed and uncertain manner, Philip
said slowly:

"You're not hurt badly, I hope. Why did you attack me?"

The man seemed too bewildered to answer. Philip leaned over and put one
arm about him to help him rise. He struggled to his feet, and almost
instantly sat down on the curb at the side of the road, holding his head
between his hands. For a moment Philip hesitated. Then he sat down
beside him, and after finding out that he was not seriously hurt,
succeeded in drawing him into a conversation which grew more and more
remarkable as it went on. As he thought back upon it afterward, Philip
was unable to account exactly for the way in which the confidence
between him and his assailant had been brought about. The incident and
all that flowed out of it had such a bearing on the crucifixion that it
belongs to the whole story.

"Then you say," went on Philip after they had been talking brief in
question and answer for a few minutes, "you say that you meant to rob
me, taking me for another man?"

"Yes, I thought you was the mill-man--what is his name?--Winter."

"Why did you want to rob him?"

The man looked up and said hoarsely, almost savagely, "Because he has
m