The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-12-18
THE MIRACLE
by Harry Irving Greene.

Herod, there lay upon a hillside not
far from Bethlehem, one Ben Joseph,
the shepherd, son Of Joseph Of Jefa.
lien Joseph was almost ~ now, aud had
been a shepherd nearly ~ long as he
could remember. Practically all bis
life had he strolled over the hillsidcs
with his charges throughout the days,
aud when night had come had laid him.
self down 10 sleep among them with a
sheep skin for his couch and a sheep.
skin for his mantle. And In those long
years Of lonlincss he had grown strong
~ body aud wild u spirit, knowing III.
tie Of faith. hope or charity aud caring
less; believcing only in the law Of re.
c0mpense and that an eve was fair OK.
change for an eye aud n tooth for "A
tooth. For he who tends sheep among
the barren hills must Craze them seven
days u week, while as for the soul IL can
always starvc n little while longer and
no harm done. SO as time passed, while
his sheep grew plentiful and fat, his
soul grew small aud lean aud was seldom
thought of, for in his idle hours Of the
lay he did nothing but play upon his
reed pipe, while in the early hours of
the night when his sheep had bcen gath.
cred together he lay upon his back and
looked up At the stars until the princi.
pal ones were "a familiar 10 his eyes
as were the hell wethers Of his -ock.
True, he knew almost nothing about tho
sparkling bodies Of space and gave lit.
tie thought as To how they came to DO
there, yet for all that he could. shut his
eyes and picture the consultations he.
I fore his mind as most boys can the faces
Ut their playmateS. This was because
lie could not read, and no one to talk
to aud was hard pressed for means by
which to occupy his brain when the
darkness fell,
Now while Ben Joseph was silent aud
rather surly of face he was only In.
clincd Ia bc wicked when aroused. At
those times, however, he was as apt TO
he as savage aud mcrcilcss M a wolf,
for II was hen that the blood lust
burned hot in his throat. And il hap
pened that upon the day Of which we
are speaking he was nursing 4 great
rage, for while he had been sleeping n
few nights before some enemy had crcpi
into his flock aud cut the throats of
three Of his finest ewes. Aud this heed
meant that very bad times were in store
for Ben Joseph indeed, for when his
master came TO count the sheep and
found the three missing, Ben Joseph
knew that he would he beaten with n
star until he could scarcely hobble, and
worse than that, he would be charg.
oil with their value; q sun which II
would take him months Of watching Ia
repay. And, furthermore, be knew who
had committed the ~dsstardly crime. It
was zone other than Ben Hadad, who
hcrded his flock in the hills TO the west.
ward and with whom Ben Joseph had
quarreled and fought n year before,
and who now had come prowling across
hill and valley In the dark Of the moon
for his revenge, and that Ben Joseph
might be soundly beaten In payment for
the whipping which he himself had 70.
ceived. In his haste the marauder had
dropped the red stone which he always
wore a. a charm, and Ben Joseph pick.
ing II up among the dead sheep had
instantly known to whom II belonged,
and ut that knowledge the hot blood
taste had arisen strong In his throat and
hate for his enemy set his blood on FIRE.
Muttering he had sworn to himself that
he should have his revenge.
And on this night he was formulating
his plans. II Ben Hadad could creep
upon him In the middle of the night
and kin his sheep, then certaialy he
could creep upon Ben Hadad and kill
him. Fol were not his feet as light
and his ears as keen as those Of any
mani And having put his foe out Of
the way he could take three Of his
ewes aud bring them back to his wi
flock TO replace the dead ones, and In
this way ut one stroke rid himself Of
a dangerous enemy and escape the
beating and loss Of wages that he
knew otherwise must be his. Clearly II
was the only thing 20 do, and arising
in the early darkness he felt Of tho
edge Of his knife and finding II plenty
keen enough he seized his crook and
went Looping of among the hills to-
ward where he knew his enemy could
he found. II was a long journey but
he travelled fast, and whom midnight
had come he had marked the fold, while
near II In his rough shelter Of skins he
could hear the steady breathing Of the
unsuspicious man whom he sought. And
NJ that token Of the Others helplessness
his eyes took on the glitter Of q wild
beast y, and with his knife held frmly
he crcpt onward to where the sleeping
one lay behind his screen.
Beneath the starlight he saw the
recumbent form lying still and defense.
less, and with a last wriggle and leap
he landed fairly upon IL, the fingers Of
one hand fastened In tho throat and
his blade held high. And Ben HadRd,
a~wakaninu from his slumhar sawd eafh