"Those are sheep from Pella," Joseph said soberly, "in my care. They
were taken from me because," he paused till a more tactful statement
should suggest itself, but, lacking it, drove ahead with spirit,
"there was not more of me to stop your soldiers."
"I believe you," Titus replied heartily. "But that is the fortune of
war. Still, you Jews have a habit of refusing to accept defeat
rationally."
"I am not a Jew," Joseph explained. "I am born of Arab blood, and I am
a Christian."
"Worse and worse," said Titus.
Joseph shifted his position argumentatively.
"Is it?" he asked. "Are you making war on Pella or Jerusalem? Was it
Pella or the hundred Jewish towns that cost Rome so much of late?
Pella is not exactly your friend, though neither are most of your
provinces; but are you going to pillage Egypt or Persia because Judea
is in rebellion?"
Titus threw his plump leg over the horn of his saddle and sat
sidewise. One of his tribunes looked at the other with a flickering
smile that was not entirely free of contempt. But his fellow returned
a stare that for immobility would have done credit to the Memnon.
"Now," Titus began, "I have heard of this fault in the Christians.
They don't understand warfare."
"We don't," Joseph declared bluntly. "We do not see why you should
take my sheep to feed your army, when we have had nothing to do with
bringing your army over here.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134