Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-12-16
Nar to the eastward there
shane q new star 80

One thousand nine hundred and
mighty Herod, there lay upon a hill
side not far from Bethlehem, one Ben
Joseph, the shepherd, son of Joseph
of Jeffa. Ben Joseph was almost IS
now, and had been shepherd nearly
as long as he could remember. Prac
tically all his life he had strolled over
the hillsides with his charges through
out the days, and when night had
come had laid himself down to sleep
among them with a sheepskin for his
couch and sheepskin for his mantle.
And in those long years of loneliness
he had grown strong of body and wild
of spirit, knowing little of faith, hope
or charity and caring less; believing
only in the law of recompense and
that an eye was fair exchange for an
eye and tooth for a tooth.
Now while Ben Joseph was silent
and rather surly of face, he was only
inclined to be wicked when aroused.
At those times, however, he was apt
to be as savage and merciless as a
wolf, for it was then that the blood
lust burned hot in his throat And 1t
happened that upon the day of which
we are speaking he was nursing a
great rage, for while he had been
sleeping few nights before some
enemy had crept into his flock and
cut the throats of three of his finest
ewes. And this deed meant that very
bad times were in store for Ben Jo-
seph indeed, for when his master
came to count the sheep and found
the three missing, Ben Joseph knew
that he would be beaten with a staff
until he could scarcely hobble, and
even worse than that, he would be
charged with their value; sum
which it would take him months of
watching to repay. And furthermore,
he knew who had committed the das
tardly crime. 1t was none other than
Ben Hadad, who herded his flock in
the hills to the westward and with
whom Ben Joseph had quarreled and
fought a 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 re-
ceived. In his haste the marauder had
dropped the red stone which he al
ways wore as charm, and Ben Jo-
seph picking it up among the dead
sheep had instantly known to whom it
belonged. Muttering he had sworn to
himself that he should have his re-
venge.
And on this night he was formulat-
ing his plans. If Ben Hadad could
creep upon him in the middle of the
night and kill his sheep, then certain
ly he could creep upon Ben Hadad
and kill him. Clearly he felt that
it was the only thing to do, and aris-
ing in the early darkness he felt of
the edge of his knife and finding it
plenty keen enough he seized his
crook and went Looping off among the
hills towards where he knew his en-
emy could be found. 1t was a long
journey, but he travelled fast, and
when midnight had come he had
marked the fold, while near by it in
his rough shelter of skins he could
hear the steady breathing of the un-
suspicious man whom he sought. And
at that token of the others helpless
ness mis- eyes took on the glitter of a
wild beasts, and with his knife held
firmly he crept onward to where the
sleeping one lay behind his screen.
Beneath the starlight he saw the
recumbent form lying still and de-
fenseless, and with last wriggle and
leap he landed fairly upon it, the fin
gers of one hand fastened in the
throat and his blade held high.
81 have come to kill you, Ben Ha-