THE DEATH OF AN ANCHORITE AND OF HIS SLAYER
Abba Gerontios, higoumen of the monastery of our holy father Euthymios, told me this: There were three of us who were grazers living beyond the Red Sea, over towards Besimon. Once, when we were walking around on the mountainside, another grazer was walking along the shore of the sea below us. It happened that he encountered some Saracens passing through the area. As they passed by him, one of the Saracens turned back and struck off the head of the anchorite. We saw all this from a distance as we were on the mountain. While we were grieving for the anchorite, suddenly a bird came over the Saracen, seized him, and carried him up into the air. It then let him drop to the ground, where he was turned into carrion.