“What should this son of Belial profit us?” one of the Chasidim haughtily replied. “The Lord grant that my next arrow may be driven better home!”
Seraiah made no answer, but painfully lifting himself from the ground made his way up the pass alone. He did not care for the company of his comrades, and they, on their part, though they could not help respecting him as a soldier, thought him sadly wanting in zeal for the Law and for the traditions of the elders.
Late that night some of the fugitives, who had crossed the mountains somewhat further to the [pg 206]south, reached Jerusalem. They found the city anxiously expecting tidings of the battle; and two of their number who were officers were at once brought into the Governor’s house. He was indisposed, and Cleon, who had given up his post at Modin and was now attached to head-quarters, saw the new arrivals in his stead. When he had heard their story, he did not conceal his scorn for the mismanagement—or was it cowardice?—that had made a well-equipped and powerful army flee before a crowd of half-armed vagabonds.
“It is easy to talk, my fine sir,” retorted one of the men, “when you have only got to stop at home and find fault; but if you had seen them to-day, you would be singing to a very different tune. By all the gods above and below, these Jews rushed on more like lions than men. And as to this Judas, son of Asmon, there is no standing against him. No man wants two blows from his sword.”
“A good soldier, I dare say,” said Cleon superciliously, “and a skilful swordsman. But there are others as good as he. And as for his army, if it is to be called an army, it is quite impossible that it can hold out very long. I was a little hasty in what I said just now. These fanatics have a way of giving some trouble at first, and it is quite possible for really good troops to be beaten by them. But it is quite out of the question to suppose that they can resist any serious attempt to deal with them. [pg 207]Of course we have made the usual mistake of making too light of them. That must not be done again. The next expedition will be made with overwhelming force, and will unquestionably bring this troublesome matter to an end. I hope to go with it myself.”
“That will be as you please, sir,” said the officer, who had not by any means recovered his temper after the imputations cast on his courage, “but if I may venture to say so, I would recommend that you should not get in the way of Judas, the son of Asmon.”
And, indeed, whatever men like Cleon may have pretended to think, from that time “began the fear of Judas and his brethren and an exceeding great dread to fall upon the nations round about them.”