And all the thousands who were of the rider's company, both those near and those afar, replied so the air shook with the sound, which was as a great wind threshing the side of the hill. Amidst the din, the cries of the poor lepers were not more than the twittering of dazed sparrows.
The moment of the meeting of the hosts was come,and with it the opportunity the sufferers were seeking; if not taken, it would be lost forever, and they would be lost as well.
"Nearer, my child-let us get nearer. He cannot hear us," said the mother.