The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-05

taking with him his servant Purah,
went in disguise to reconnoitre the enc
my. 1t indicates the loose military
method then prevalent to find that he
worked his way, as an assumed friend,
into the very midst Of the enemy's camp.
His object was to discover the spirit, the
tone, of the Midianite warriors. Among
other like things he overheard soldier
narrate to companion strange dream.
He had dreampt that loaf OF barley
bread had rolled into their camp, and
turned the whole camp upside down and
wrought it's complete destruction. The
scared nearer of the dream was quick
with proffered Interpretation. Itmeant,
he said, that the dreadful Gideon, OF
whom they had heard such terrifying
accounts, was soon to descend on the
camp Of indian and capture with his
sword the whole Midianite host. This
was proof that the fame of Gideon was
already producing CONSERVATION among
the Midianites.
Gideon hurried back to his three hun
dred in the mountain. The time was
ripe for action. Delay, revealing his
numerical weakness as it would be like
ly to do would be fatal to his enterprise.
He exhorted his braves, Arise, for the
Lord hath delivered into your hand the
host of Midian.
2. Gideon Devises Scare and
a Panic,-vs. 1918.
His preparations were quickly made.
Trumpets had already been secured from
the captains in the army, so that there
was trumpet to be given into the hands
of every one of the three hundred.
Torches were likewise placed in the
hands of every one. And each one was
given an earthen pitcher, with which to
cover his torch till the opportune mo-
ment should come for its revealing.
Gideon carefully instructed his men to
be watchful, and to follow him and be
guided implicitly by his example.
So he led his three hundred to the
camp of indian. Three hundred against
more than a hundred thousand trained
desert warriors!
3. Gideon's VictOry,-vs 1923.
1t was midnight when the band
reached the enemy's encampment. They
had come so stealthily that the night
silence had not been broken; no indian
tie Waterman had been alarmed. This
was rendered less difficult by reason OF
the approach being made while the
watch was being changed, involving no
slight confusion. The three hundred
we're 90 distributed among the tents that
they appeared to entirely surround the
encampment. Every man OF the band
was in his appointed place.
A moment of ominous suspense; then,
of sudden, the air was rent with the
simultaneous blare Of the three hundred
trumpets. Every soldier of the band at
the same instant demolished the earthen
jar which concealed his bright torch
light. Every soldier stood, with his left
hand bearing aloft his torch. his right
hand carrying his trumpet. And from
out Of the din of the breaking jars and
the bewildering sound of the trumpets
came the never to. be-forgotten trumpet
articulated war-cry, The sacord of the
Lord and of Gideon.
What wonder that the Midianites were
at once thrown into wild panic? They
had seen only captains bear trumpets;
every trumpet startling the silence
would suggest to their imagination an
entire battalion of assailants. The weird
| light of the torches would not lessen
| their fright. What wonder that the
Midianites. their women and children
adding to the cries and the confusion,
became insane men, and in the darkness
began to slay each other, mistaking
friends for foes? What wonder that
they instantly began panic-fight
toward the Jordan, and that each one
of the Bedouin host thought of nothing
but his own self preservation; thereby
losing the life he would save?
Now was the time for the reserve OF
ten thousand and the twenty-five
thousand to do deadly work. 1t was
easy to slaughter the victims of the I'M
earthly scare. The invading army was
virtually annihilated,-th nation of
INDIAN received such a mortal wound
that it appears no more in history as an
aggressive power.
Gideon because of this noteworthy
exploit, is today the most renowned of