There a solitary horseman rode. Not a scale of armor was upon his
horse; not a weapon, not even a shield depended from his harness. His
head was uncovered and a sheeny purple fillet showed in the tumbled,
dusty black hair. There was no guard on the hand that held the bridle;
the cloak that floated from his shoulders was white wool; the tunic
was the simple light garment that soldiers usually wear under armor;
the shoes alone were mailed. It seemed that the young Roman had
stripped off his helmet, breast-plate and greaves to ride less
encumbered or to appear less warlike.
But the Jews who looked at him understood. Here was Titus come in
peace!
The horse went with loosened rein, while the young Roman's eyes raised
to the great wall towering over him had more of admiration and a
generous foe's appreciation of his enemy's strength than of the
note-making search of a spy in them.
"Ha! By Hector, that penurious Herod was a builder!" they seemed to
say. "There is enough stone insolence in these walls to trouble Rome
for a while!"
Rod after rod of the slowly rising ground he traversed; rod after rod
of the tall fortification passed under his inspection, and now the
twin Women's Towers rose upon the ashes and scarped rock to the north.
Titus spoke to his horse and rode faster.
Meanwhile silent dozens climbed panting and dumbly resisting the
sentries up beside the first Jews. They were citizens who dared not
rejoice aloud. They followed the young Roman with brightened eyes,
saying each within his heart: "Thus David came up against Saul, unto Israel!"
But there was an increase of uproar in the city below, as if news of
the coming of Titus had spread abroad.
Titus was now almost a mile from the nearest of his soldiers. He
passed the Gate of the Women's Towers. Hedges, gardens, ditches and
wind-breaks of cedars of Lebanon from time to time obscured him. When
he came in sight again, he had placed obstruction between himself and
retreat.
The next instant the Gate of the Women's Towers swung in. Out of it
rushed a sortie of motley soldiery, brandishing weapons and shouting
the war-cries of Simon and John.
The citizens on the walls pressed their hands to their temples and
watched, transfixed with horror. Jerusalem's defenders had gone out
against the Deliverer!
The attack had been seen by the disorganized troops on Gareb and the
rapid trumpet-calls showed formation. But between the time of their
movement and the moment of their relief a company could have been
unhorsed. Meanwhile Titus, with nothing less than Fate preserving him
for its own work, dodged javelins and, enraging the white stallion
that he rode, kept out of reach of hand-to-hand encounter with his
assailants. Back and forward he rode, his horse carrying him at times
out of range of missiles; again, all but surrounded by the unorganized
enemy. About his head whizzed axes and spears, wild, and frequently
slaying their own. Far up the slope of Gareb the six hundred gathered
itself and swept in mass down upon the conflict.