"Why are you doing that, brother?" said Barabbas. "We'll lead them to
our castle. The simoon may be blowing up. There they'll have shelter
for the night."

He tore the bridle from Dismas's hand, and led the ass bearing the
mother and child down between the stones to the cave, Joseph saw the
men's weapons, and followed gloomily.

When the shades of evening fell, and the desert was shut out and the
sky dark, when the blocks of stone and the cone-shaped rocks resembled
black monsters, the wanderers were settled in the depths of the cave.
The ass lay in front of it sleeping, his big head resting on the sand.
Near by lurked the robbers, and ate their plunder.

"Now we'll share our guests in brotherly fashion," said Barabbas. "You
shall have the old man and the child."

"They are father, mother, and child," replied Dismas; "they belong
together, we will protect them."

"Brother," said Barabbas, who was in high good humour at the ease of
the capture, "your dice. We'll throw for them. First, for the ass."

"Right, Barabbas."

He threw the eight-cornered stone with the black marks, and it fell on
his outspread cloak. The ass was his.

"Now for the father and son!"