explanation was cut short by the sight of some shepherds sitting at
their midday meal, and hunger falling suddenly upon Azariah and Joseph,
both began to regret they had not brought food with them. But Azariah
had some shekels tied in his garment, and for one of these pieces of
silver the shepherds were glad to share their bread and figs with them
and to draw milk for them from one of the she-goats. From which shall I
draw milk? the shepherd asked his mate, and the mate answered:
White-nose looks as if her udder is paining her. She lost her kid
yesterday. He mentioned two others: Speckled and Long-ears. Whichever
would like her milk drawn off will answer to thy call, the shepherd
answered, and the goat came running to him as if glad to hear her name.
White-nose, isn't it? Joseph asked, and he gathered a branch for her,
and while she nibbled he watched the milk drawn off and drank it foaming
and warm from the jug, believing it to be the sweetest he had ever
drunk, though he had often drunk goat's milk before. Azariah, too, vowed
that he had never drunk better milk and persuaded the shepherds into
discourse of their trade, learning much thereby, for these men knew
everything that men may know about flocks, having been engaged in
leading them from pasture to pasture all their lives and their fathers
before them.

After telling of many famous rams they related the courage and fidelity
of their dogs, none of which feared a wolf, and they mentioned that two
had been lost in an encounter with a leopard--but the flock had been
saved. As much as wolves the shepherds feared the eagles. There are a
dozen nests in yon mountain if there be one. Take the strangers up the
hillside, mate, so that they may get a sight of the birds. And Azariah
and Joseph followed the shepherd up to the crags and were shown some
birds wheeling above rocks so steep that there was no foothold for man.
Or else we should have had their nests long ago, the shepherd said. Now