The following evening Joseph and Nicodemus, together with the Galileans and Bethany friends, having become anxious that Jesus and his disciples remained so late in the city, began a search. Finding all the gates closed for the night, they stopped before the gate beautiful and clamoured for admittance, but received no response.

Nicodemus, realizing the move as unusual, becomes alarmed and communed in low tones with the group thus: "I fear Caiaphas has assembled his family at the Sanhedrim and condemned Jesus and his disciples and put them all to death, for, the second time he assembled us, concerning Jesus, he advocated such a course. Let us now go to the Damascus gate on the north and if we are not admitted I know a watchman who has the key to the quarry dungeon, from which I can gain entrance through a secret chamber to the abandoned court of Bell, near to the home of Annas."

"What quarry dungeon?" inquired Magdalene, as she faced him, opening wide her large eyes in wonder.

"There is such a place," he replied. "Jerusalem is honeycombed by high, dark, shapeless vaults, from which Solomon quarried his foundation. It is beneath the city and the public have not been permitted to enter there for many years."

During these moments, Jesus and his disciples had passed out of the South Gate and were now in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Galileans, at the Damascus gate, did not know this until Lazarus came running to say that Jesus was in the garden below. Just at this instant they heard loud voices inside and while they listened the gate swung open and a mob of nearly one hundred men, armed with rusty swords, clubs and rocks, led by Judas Iscariot, came rushing out.

Immediately Magdalene sprang into the way before them and cried, "Oh, Judas, traitor—traitor,—stand—turn back," at which they all stopped, Judas trembling and casting his eyes on the ground. "Now," she cried, "that Rome has disdained to interfere, you—you traitor, with a band of hired bloodthirsty assassins"——

At this moment one from the rear threw a heavy bludgeon, striking her full in the face and as she fell the band surged forward, stumbling over her form, but she did not faint, and rising quickly tried to follow, but was restrained by those around her, who began wiping the blood from her face.

Thinking their object was to assassinate Jesus, the Galileans ran into the garden, where they found Jesus endeavoring to arouse his sleepy disciples, who became frightened when they saw the assassins and fell back, all except poor old Peter, who bristled for the affray.

As Peter rushed forward a servant of Caiaphas dealt him a heavy blow with his dull sword, which Peter returned, nearly severing his ear, but at the command of Jesus, all the assassins fell back except Judas, who attempted to kiss him. Jesus staid him, saying, "Judas, betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss?" Then to the mob he continued, "When I was daily in the temple you stretched forth no hand against me, but this is your hour, in the cover of darkness."

The assassins then bound the hands of Jesus in front and pinioned his elbows at the back in such a way as to cause great pain, after which two stalwart ruffians seized him by either arm and hastened him forward, amid the jeers and yells of the entire band, except Judas, who, witnessing the cruelty and pitiful state of Magdalene, turned away and wept convulsively, and then with Peter followed the assassins to Annas. Judas entered the hall, but Peter, when accused of being a disciple of Jesus, denied it and disappeared into the darkness.