midday
He opened it , finding within ancient parchments with heavy seals , new writings , rolls of notes and a packet of letters . He rose , trembling violently , and backed away . After a moment 's fascinated gaze at the roadway to see if the pilgrims passing had seen what he had done , he whirled about , mounted his horse and galloped frantically toward Jerusalem . Meanwhile the midday activity on the Roman roadway swept by the smoldering fire and the motionless figure lying in the grass some distance back from the highway . Along the splendid causeway the Passover pilgrims fared , men afoot , men on camels , families and solitary travelers ; the poor , the once rich , the humble and the haughty ; figures in burnooses , gabardines , gowns and tunics ; striped and checkered woolens , linens or rags ; noisy or silent , angry or sad , hour in and hour out , until the hills were a-throb with the human atmosphere . Time and again the sweet invitation of the rare grass along the marsh invited the way-weary to halt to tie a sandal , to bind up a wound , to eat a crust spread with curds or simply to rest . No one approached the silent man who had fallen beside a dying fire .