But the brazen signals rang out with renewed power, and the stillness of
the holy wilderness was broken here by the clatter of men's voices, there
by a blast of trumpets, and there again by stifled cries. It was as if a
charm had given life to the rocks and lent their voices; as if noise and
clamor were rushing like wild torrents down every gorge and cleft of the
mountainside.

"It is too late," sighed the anchorite. "If I only could--if I only
knew--"

"Hallo! hallo! holy Paulus!" a shrill woman's voice which seemed to come
from high up in the air rang out joyful and triumphant, interrupting the
irresolute man's meditations, "Hermas is alive! Hermas is here again!
Only look up at the heights. There flies the standard, for he has warned
the sentinels. The Blemmyes are coming on, and he sent me to seek you.
You must come to the strong tower on the western side of the ravine.
Make haste! come at once! Do you hear? He told me to tell you. But the
man in your lap--it is--yes, it is--"

"It is your master's son Polykarp," Paulus called back to her. "He is
hurt unto death; hurry down to the oasis, and tell the senator, tell Dame
Dorothea--"

"I have something else to do now," interrupted the shepherdess. "Hermas
has sent me to warn Gelasius, Psoes, and Dulas, and if I went down into
the oasis they would lock me up, and not let me come up the mountain
again. What has happened to the poor fellow? But it is all the same:
there is something else for you to do besides grieving over a hole in
Polykarp's head. Go up to the tower, I tell you, and let him lie--or