Chapter 14
The Canyon

The children led their elephant away from the camp. The soldiers were running in all directions, trying to recapture the elephants. Devorah stopped urging their elephant forward.

“We can’t get too far ahead,” she told her brother. “The soldiers have to follow us into the canyon.”

“Then can we get down for a while?” Benjamin shifted around on the elephant’s back. “My tush hurts!”

Devorah sighed. “If we do that, we’ll never be able to climb back up. I sure hope this elephant doesn’t decide to wander back toward the camp.”

The young elephant stopped at a bush filled with fat berries. It plucked the berries with its trunk and placed them into its mouth. Thankfully, the bush entertained the young elephant for a while.

“Listen,” Devorah said suddenly. “It’s quieting down. They must have caught all the elephants.” A chill ran down her spine as she heard the commander shout new orders to his men.

“Find those children and bring me their heads!”

“I see an elephant in the distance,” called a soldier. “It must be them!”

The soldiers headed toward them. Devorah guided the elephant back and forth, weaving a path through the trees. She led the soldiers toward the canyon, making sure to stay far enough away to be mostly out of sight. Devorah prayed that Shoshana had convinced Judah to use her new plan. What if Judah didn’t like the plan and the Maccabees weren’t at the canyon when the soldiers arrived? She couldn’t bear to think about it.

The children stayed hidden in the trees, waiting for the soldiers to come a little closer.

“Where did they go?” asked one soldier.

“This path leads to the canyon,” replied another. “They must be returning to their camp.”

“Perfect!” whispered Devorah. “The plan is working.”

“Halt!” said the commander. “I know a shorter way to the enemy camp. We will arrive at the same time as the children. Then we can capture them along with everyone else.”

The soldiers turned away.

“No!” cried Devorah. “They’re supposed to chase after us. They have to go through the canyon or the plan will fail!”

“What are we going to do?” asked Benjamin desperately.

“I don’t know!”

Benjamin stood up on the elephant’s back and yelled to the soldiers. “Hey, you stupid jerks!” The little elephant moved, startled by its rider’s sudden explosion of noise. Benjamin wobbled and started to fall. Devorah grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing?” she whispered angrily at him. “You’ll attract the soldiers’ attention. They’ll come after us!”

“Of course they will. That’s the whole idea, isn’t it?”

Devorah’s eyes lit up with understanding. Grabbing onto the elephant’s wrinkled skin, she started yelling as well. The soldiers spotted the children.

“There they are! The spies who released our elephants!”

“Catch them!”

The soldiers turned and chased after the children. But Benjamin and Devorah had a head start. They arrived at the canyon well ahead of the soldiers, but their elephant slowed when he reached the unfamiliar canyon path. The soldiers were catching up.

“Go faster, elephant!” cried Benjamin.

As the soldiers entered the narrow canyon, they were forced to reduce their speed. The commander, riding the lead elephant, hurled his spear. It soared past the children, glanced off a nearby rock, and bounced harmlessly in front of them. It was enough of a surprise, however, to startle the elephant. It reared in panic. The children held on tightly, but it was no use. They slid from its back, landing on the ground, and the elephant raced on without them.

Unable to see through the swirling dust, the children crawled toward the canyon wall and clung to each other as the thundering herd of their enemy’s elephants drew near.