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.
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