252 STEINBERG
hammers, and torn scrolls of the Law, and the history of the ten martyrs of the days of Titus, not to mention a few later ones.
Their hatred grew with them, its strength increased with theirs.
When Krushevan began to deal in anti-Semitism, Maxim learned that 'Christian children were carried off into the Shool, Struli's Shool, for the sake of their blood.
Thenceforth Maxim's hatred of Struli was mingled with fear. He was terrified when he passed the Shool at night, and he used to dream that Struli stood over him in a prayer robe, prepared to slaughter him with a ram's horn trumpet.
This because he had once passed the Shool early one Jewish New Year's Day, had peeped through the win- dow, and seen the ram's horn blower standing in his white shroud, armed with the Shofar, and suddenly a heartrending voice broke out with Min ha-Mezar, and Maxim, taking his feet on his shoulders, had arrived home more dead than alive. There was very nearly a commotion. The priest wanted to persuade him that the Jews had tried to obtain his blood.
So the two children grew into youth as enemies. Their fathers died, and the increased difficulties of their position increased their enmity.
The same year saw them called to military service, from which they had both counted on exemption as the only sons of widowed mothers; only Israel's mother had lately died, bequeathing to the Czar all she had a soldier; and Maxim's mother had united herself to
