Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-22

but no man held up his dropping head, for
the MONDAY sun was 30 relentlessly cruel,
and the sides of the ravine, dazzling with
the glare, poured down such fierce heat that
it seemed as though they were striving to
outdo the smelling furnaces.
Though SO near their journeys end, the
wanderers t0ttered forward as if in sleep.
and one alone held his breath with excite
ment. As war horse harnessed to a plow
arches his neck and dilates his nostrils,
while the fire sparkles in his eye SO had
Joshua drawn up his STOPPING form in spite
Of the heavy sack across his shoulders, and
his flashing gaze turned to the spot whence
the uproar came which the driver supposed
to be loud revelry. But he, Joshua, knew
better. He could never mistake the sounds
which he heard. It was the battle cry of
Egyptian troops, the trumpet call to sum-
mon them to arms, the clatter of weapons
and shouting of hostile parties.
Ready at once for swift action, he ad-
dressed his comrade in chains and whis-
pered his commands: "The hour of release
is at hand. Keep your eyes open, but fol-
low me blindly."
At this the other, too, was greatly excited,
and no sooner had Joshua looked down the
ravine than he said: "Now. Be readyl'
The first glance into the little gorge had
revealed to him a figure standing on the top
of a cliff and a noble head framed with
white hair. It was his father. He would
have known him among 10000, and from
much greater distance. But he looked away
from that beloved face for moment to
glance at the driver of the gang who stood
still, startled and speechless; and then,
thinking that a mutiny had broken out
among the state prisoners, with quick pres
epce Of mind he cried in harsh accents to
his subordinates:
SECT behind our prisoners and kill any
one who attempts to escape" But hardly
had the men done his bidding and gone to
the rear, when Joshua whispered to his COM
panion: "Now, down with himF'
With these words the Hebrew, who, with
his fellow captive, was at the head of
the file, rushed on the driver. and
Joshua had seized his right arm
and the other man his left,
before he was aware Of IL.
He was q stalwart fellow, and rage
doubled his strength; he struggled wildly
to free himself, but Joshua and his comrade
held him in grip OF iron.
One glance had been enough to show the
captive warrior which way he must 20 to
reach his own people. 1t would have to
pass small force Of Egyptian bowmen who
were shooting their arrows at the Hebrews
on the opposite side Of the ravine; but the
enemy would not dare to turn on them, for
the sturdy form of the slave driver served
to screen them both, and he was easily
recognizable by his dress and weapons.
"Hold up the chain with one hand" said
Joshua to his accomplice. 81 can hold our
living shield. We must get up the shoulder
of the hill crab-fashion.
His companion obeyed, and when thew
came within arrow-shot length of the foe
they held their prisoner first on one side.
and then, walking backward, between them
selves and the Egyptians. Thus Joshua,
shouting in ringing tones: "The son of Nun
is returning to his father and his peoplel''
made his way, step by step, toward the He
brew fighting men.
None Of the Egyptians who
recognized the Captain OF the
prison gang had dared to let fly a shaft at
the escaped prisoners; and now, from the
top Of the slope which the fettered couple
were climbing backward. Joshua heard his
name called in joyful accents, and at the
same moment Ephraim and his company Of
youthful combatants came flying down the
hill to meet him.
To his astonishment the warrior saw in the
hands OF every son Of his people large
shield az of an Egyptian foot soldier, q
sword, or battleax. But many still wore
ct their RirdleH the hsrdIman ms sling and
bag Of peebleh