_2d Soldier_—All right, George, we’ll have a round of the red. _Hebrew Wine-seller_—Here you are, gentlemen. You’ll like that. [_He sets down an earthenware pitcher that he has filled from one of the casks._] That’s a nice little wine. _1st Soldier_—Have a drink of it yourself. [_He turns to the third Roman soldier who is leaning on a barrel._] What’s the matter with you? _3d Roman Soldier_—I got a gut-ache. _2d Soldier_—You’ve been drinking water. _1st Soldier_—Try some of the red. _3d Soldier_—I can’t drink the damn stuff. It makes my gut sour. _1st Soldier_—You been out here too long. _3d Soldier_—Hell, don’t I know it? _1st Soldier_—Say, George, can’t you give this gentleman something to fix up his stomach? _Hebrew Wine-seller_—I got it right here. [_The third Roman soldier tastes the cup that the wine-seller has mixed for him._] _3d Soldier_—Hey, what you put in that, camel chips? _Wine-seller_—You drink that right down, Lootenant. That’ll fix you up right. _3d Soldier_—Well, I couldn’t feel any worse. _1st Soldier_—Take a chance on it. George fixed me up fine the other day. _Wine-seller_—You were in bad shape, Lootenant. I know what fixes up a bad stomach. [_The third Roman soldier drinks the cup down._] _3d Roman Soldier_—Jesus Christ. [_He makes a face._] _2d Soldier_—That false alarm! _1st Soldier_—Oh, I don’t know. He was pretty good in there to-day. _2d Soldier_—Why didn’t he come down off the cross? _1st Soldier_—He didn’t want to come down off the cross. That’s not his play. _2d Soldier_—Show me a guy that doesn’t want to come down off the cross. _1st Soldier_—Aw, hell, you don’t know anything about it. Ask George there. Did he want to come down off the cross, George? _Wine-seller_—I’ll tell you, gentlemen, I wasn’t out there. It’s a thing I haven’t taken any interest in. _2d Soldier_—Listen, I seen a lot of them—here and plenty of other places. Any time you show me one that doesn’t want to get down off the cross when the time comes—when the time comes, I mean—I’ll climb right up with him. _1st Soldier_—I thought he was pretty good in there to-day. _3d Soldier_—He was all right. _2d Roman Soldier_—You guys don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m not saying whether he was good or not. What I mean is, when the time comes. When they first start nailing him, there isn’t none of them wouldn’t stop it if they could. _1st Soldier_—Didn’t you follow it, George? _Wine-seller_—No, I didn’t take any interest in it, Lootenant. _1st Soldier_—I was surprised how he acted. _3d Soldier_—The part I don’t like is the nailing them on. You know, that must get to you pretty bad. _2d Soldier_—It isn’t that that’s so bad, as when they first lift ’em up. [_He makes a lifting gesture with his two palms together._] When the weight starts to pull on ’em. That’s when it gets ’em. _3d Roman Soldier_—It takes some of them pretty bad.