Volume Ii Part 15 (2/2)
”The fools desire their own destruction! Well, they shall be gratified.
Up, generals! to the attack! Whoever is the first to plant our standard on the walls shall have a tenth part of the booty!”
The leaders hurried away on all sides, spurred by avarice and ambition.
Johannes was just turning the ruined arch of an aqueduct, which Belisarius had destroyed in order to deprive the besieged of water, when he heard a low voice calling his name.
It was already so dark that he with difficulty recognised the man who had spoken.
”What do you want, Jew!” asked Johannes. ”I have no time to lose. There is hard work to be done. I must be the first into the city.”
”That you shall be, and without hard work, if you will follow me.”
”Follow you? Do you know a way through the air over the walls?”
”No; but through the earth _under_ the walls. And I will show it you if you give me a thousand solidi, and promise me a certain girl as booty.”
Johannes stood still.
”You shall have what you like! Where is this way?”
”Here!” said Jochem, and struck the masonry with his hand.
”What? The aqueduct? How do you know?”
”I built it. A man can creep through it; there is no more water in it.
I have just come this way out of the city. The pa.s.sage leads into an old temple at the Porta Capuana. Take thirty men and follow me!”
Johannes looked sharply at him.
”And if you deceive me?”
”I will walk between your drawn swords. If I lie, kill me.”
”Wait,” cried Johannes, and hurried away.
CHAPTER IV.
Shortly afterwards Johannes again appeared, accompanied by his brother Perseus and about thirty brave Armenian mercenaries, who carried, besides their swords, short battle-axes.
”As soon as we are inside, Perseus,” said Johannes, ”you must break open the sally-port to the right of the Porta Capuana at the moment when the others unfold our flag upon the walls. At this signal my Huns, who wait outside, will rush into the sally-port. But who keeps the tower at the gate? Him we must have.”
”Isaac, a great friend of the Edomites. He must die!”
”He dies!” said Johannes, and drew his sword. ”Forward!”
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