Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/64

Rh at a height immeasurably beyond the nearest stars, and dropping obliquely to the earth; at its top, a diminishing point; at its base, many furlongs in width; its sides blending softly with the darkness of the night; its core a roseate electrical splendor. The apparition seemed to rest on the nearest mountain southeast of the town, making a pale corona along the line of the summit. The khan was touched luminously, so that those upon the roof saw each other's faces, all filled with wonder.

Steadily, through minutes, the ray lingered, and then the wonder changed to awe and fear; the timid trembled; the boldest spoke in whispers.

&quot;Saw you ever the like?&quot; asked one.

&quot;It seems just over the mountain there. I cannot tell what it is, nor did I ever see anything like it,&quot; was the answer.

&quot;Can it be that a star has burst and fallen?&quot; asked another, his tongue faltering.

&quot;When a star falls, its light goes out.&quot;

&quot;I have it!&quot; cried one, confidently. &quot;The shepherds have seen a lion, and made fires to keep him from the flocks.&quot;

The men next the speaker drew a breath of relief, and said, &quot;Yes, that is it! The flocks were grazing in the valley over there to~day.&quot;

A bystander dispelled the comfort.

&quot;No, no! Though all the wood in all the valleys of Judah was brought together in one pile and fired, the blaze would not throw a light so strong and high.&quot;

After that there was silence on the house-top, broken but once again while the mystery continued.

&quot;Brethren!&quot; exclaimed a Jew of venerable mien, &quot;what we see is the ladder our father Jacob saw in his dream. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers!&quot;

and a half, it may be two miles, southeast of Bethlehem, there is a plain separated from the town by an