"Nay, I know not," answered Ben Kish. "He is perhaps with the herds."
"Go and fetch him," commanded Pagiel.
Ben Kish made search for the man Simeon; but he found him not, neither with the herds nor anywhere about the encampment. "The man is gathering fuel," he said scowling, "or he hath gone perchance after some wild beast to slay it." But at the setting of the sun Simeon had not returned. Nor did he come that night.
"I hope," said Ben Kish, "that a wild beast hath slain him."
All that day Ben Hesed, with his two sons and the ten men who were skilful with the bow, made haste on their journey and stayed not. "For," said Ben Hesed, "I should have done this thing many moons since; I alone am not sufficient for the work."
At evening an encampment was made so that they might rest and be refreshed. As the servants were gathering fuel for the fires, one of them saw a man running toward the place where they were, and he went and told Ben Hesed, saying, "Behold, we have seen an appearance as of a man running. How can this be, seeing that we are already a day's journey in the wilderness?"
But even as he told the thing, the runner approached the encampment, and he fell on his face before Ben Hesed.
"It is Simeon," said Ben Hesed. "Raise him up and give him water that he may speak. He hath perchance evil tidings."
So they raised him up and offered him water, but he would not drink until he had seen the skin from which the water was taken; then he drank deep and long.
"What doth this mean," said Ben Hesed, "art thou then smitten with madness, or hast thou tidings of evil?"