CHAPTER XVI.
NEWS FROM THE BATTLE-FIELD.
While the patriots, bivouacking on the field of battle, slept the soundsleep of those who have fought a good fight, the women, left, with thechildren and the sick, in charge of a small guard, only strong enough toprotect them against casual robbers, felt the most intense anxiety. Ruthin her cave, with the children slumbering by her side, watched through thenight, listening intently to every sound. At one time she could hear thebats which haunted the rocks flapping and fluttering as they went out totake their flights in the night air. Then from farther away came themoaning of the jackals, as they hunted for their prey, with now and thenthe deeper note of a wolf, or the sound, so strangely like to mockinglaughter, of the hooting owls. Everything at that moment seemed very darkand hopeless to the anxious wife.
"'Tis everywhere the same," she thought to herself--"the stronger hunt anddevour the weak. The lions roaring after their prey, do seek their meatfrom God. The lambs and the fawns are their prey, and God gives thehelpless, innocent things into their jaws. And will he give us to the jawsof the heathen who are hunting us that they may devour us? Did He deliverthe thousand who died that they might not profane His Sabbath? Not so. Hesuffered them to perish, to be a prey for the beasts of the field and thefowls of the air. 'Verily our bones lie scattered before the pit, like aswhen one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.'"
And then her thoughts travelled to those who were especially close to herheart. Azariah and Micah--where were they? How had it fared with them inthe battle? Were they lying on the field of battle with stark faces turnedto the stars of heaven, and the vultures preying on their limbs? And sheshuddered, and hid her face in the coarse coverlet under which she lay, asif she would shut out the dreadful picture that her thoughts had conjuredup before her.
When she opened her eyes again, there was a faint suspicion of light inthe darkness of the cave. The bats came flapping back from the outer airto their haunts in the roof. Jael, the jackal, who had been for hernightly prowl came back with her cubs, and lay down in her accustomedcorner. The light grew rapidly stronger, and when Ruth stepped from thethreshold of the cave into the fresh morning air, though the sun was notvisible, its light had begun to touch the highest summits of themountains.
Looking to the head of the pass Ruth could see her husband where he stoodat his post of observation, a spot which commanded a distant view of thewestward approaches to the encampment. As she watched him she observed himmake a signal that indicated that he had to make some importantcommunication. A moment afterwards she could see other men hurrying to thespot. She bade Miriam and Judith, who were always her guests during theirfather's absence, watch the still sleeping infant, and made all the hasteshe could to join her husband. When she reached him she found the littlegroup of watchers straining their eyes as they gazed at a body of armedmen that could be seen in the distance. "Who are they? foes or friends?"was the question that was in every heart, though none ventured to put itinto words.
As the vanguard of the approaching force came to an eastward turn in thepath, a ray of sunshine touched the helmets of the men and made themglitter.
"What is this?" said one of the men. "They went with caps of leather;whence come these helmets of brass and steel?"
A shudder went through the hearts of Ruth and of the other women who bythis time had joined her. If the patriots had been overpowered, and thesearmed men were heathen murderers and ravishers come to wreak theirvengeance on those who had been left behind----
"Whence come they?" said Seraiah. "They are the spoils of the heathen."
As he spoke the distant sound of singing was carried by the wind up thepass, and though the words could not as yet be heard it was recognized atonce as one of the Temple chants. The little band of sentries and womenraised a joyful shout, and hurried down the pass to meet the new comers.And now the noble voice of Judas could be heard leading the song oftriumph. "Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou shaltthrow down mine enemies under me. Thou hast made mine enemies also to turntheir backs upon me; and I shall destroy them that hate me.... I will beatthem as small as the dust before the wind." And now the good news hadspread like wildfire through the camp. The rest of the women hastened downto meet and greet the deliverers, and among them Miriam and Judith,carrying Ruth's infant child. The first thought of all was to do honour tothe chief who had led the host of the Lord to victory. They kissed the hemof his robe, his hands, even his feet. It was only when they had satisfiedthese feelings of gratitude and reverence that they could think of privateaffections. And when the whole array, the women and children now minglingin the ranks with the armed men, reached the top of the pass, it haltedfor a few minutes. The name which Micah, in his talk with Cleon, had givento Judas had passed through the army, and had caught the popular fancy.There was scarcely a man among them but had seen him dealing death atevery blow among the ranks of the heathen. "Hail, Judah Maccabah! Hail,Hammer of God!" was the cry that went up from the assembled multitude. Thetitle has been given in after times to other sturdy champions of thetruth, notably to him who, in the Valley of Tours, turned back the tide ofPaynim invasion;(9) but never has it been more honourably gained, or moreworthily borne, than it was by Judas, the son of Mattathias.
The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times Page 17