All of these were evidently intended for sacrificial purposes.
Scarcely had I reached the top when I saw a procession ascend from the other side.

First came some paupers, then some hags, and then, followed by other hags, I saw Almah.

I was transfixed at the sight.

A thrill passed through every nerve, and a wild impulse came to me to burst through the crowd, join her, and battle with them all for her life.

But the crowd was too dense.