The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-11

land. Pthah is mighty. He hath delivered
them unto me: and Meerah. beloved Nee
ran. thy breast shall pillow Pharaoh's head
once more
Now, Moses stayed his rear guard in the
defile between Migdol and the sea, and
brought the main body down to Pi-hahi-
roth. where the breadth of the sea is but
two thousand PAGES. X was by this way
that the great leader had gone when he
fled into the wilderness of Shur, or the
Wall. after Staying the Ser But the waters
then were low, and the waters now were
fun. and the Hebrews lay. as it were. en-
trapped, being hemmed in by the sea on
the east. the waterless desert on the south
and west and in their rear pursuit. While
the people rested. loosing the girths of their
beasts, Moses and some with him. went
down TO the sheer and watched with anx-
ious eyes the ebb of the tide. Lower and
lower the water sank, higher and higher
grew the rushes which marked the ford the
leader knew well. But the growth of
the reeds began TO slacken, and the draw
off of the waters increased in force while
the causeway was still topped in places by
the tide. and all too narrow. everywhere,
for the passage of multitude. Then. at
this juncture, came men from the rear
guard, crying:
Pharaoh pursueth us! From Migdol
beheld his chariots far off in the desert,
and his horsemen. The sun shines on their
breast-plates and the points of their spears.
We be all dead men."
And the people, usual, began to MUIR
muir against Moses for bringing them up
out of the land to die in the wilderness
Fright and confusion ran riot through the
host. The men rent their clothes the
women walled, and the chldrne huddled
together, terrified; even the beasts, infected
by the atmosphere OF terror which sur
rounded them, plunged and broke loose, adj
ding chaos to the fearful situation A dis
located rabble, the people sat down by the
seashore. helpless and hopeless; for the
trained bands of the great Menepthall were
drawing nigh, and those dreaded chariots
which had caused confusion even in The
ranks of the fierce Khita, and had but re-
Gently overthrown the Libyans-a nation
accustomed to war-woud be upon them in
the space Of few short hours. BY the
| terrible weapons launched from the hand
| of the malignant Pharoah would they be
slain like sheep, their race crushed under
his wide wheels, and their name blotted out
| beneath the hoofs of his horses
| So they sat down and waited for their
! hearts were as lead Only the heart of
/ Meerah, when she understood the tidngs
was lifted up, and she strained her eyes
hoping TO see the majestic form of AIenep-
| than come over the hills from the west
| but Menepthah's men. not knowing the ex-
| act whereabouts of the Hebrews, who lay
| concealed in the hollows surrounded by
| Migdol and the neighboring ridges, had
| drawn rein TO rest after the long pursuit
| in the heat OF the day.
| Meerah sat hoping; her people sat de-
! spairing, while Moses, still watching the
| slowing growth of the causeway and the
| slackening fall of the water, beheld cloud
| rise up out of the heavens Straightway he
| dipped his hand in the tide and held il out
| to the southeast. And when his wet hand
| felt the wind he knew that Israel was
| saved
| With incredible rapidity the hurricane
| came up on the wings of the waning day,
| and, driving the waters before it, heaped
| them up in the basin to the north, while
the ebb sucked away the sea on the south
| And the causeway arose out of the strife
| white and wide-dry. ready for the passage
| of a nation, and the whitening of woman's
heart.
| The strong wind. still holding the waters
| up, passed on behind the Hebrews into the
| desert, raising dense clouds of sand in the
| faces of Menepthahs men, and compelling
another halt in the teeth of the binding
| tempest. The heart Of Meerah sank as she
| beheld the sandstone sweep over the des-
| ert, for she knew it would delay her deliver
| ance. and the tears { -.,T.1~o. the eyes that
| looked so yearningly for the CLEAN of Pha-
raohs arms. the only ray OF hope now left
| to her.
Then commenced the crossing. The hours
| that it occupied were fraught with un-
| speakable anxiety to the great leader who
| feared two things-the falling of the wind
| which would loose the pent-up waters of
| the Yam Suph, and the subsistence of the
sandstone, which would permit the closing
in on them OF Pharaoh's host from the des-
| ert ere the passing Of the people was ac-
complished.
But the wind held all that night and the
greater part of the next day. so that the
Hebrews passed over, column succeeding
column, unmolested, and the last con-
tingent, according to the tribes, with
Meerah in the midst. had almost completed
the journey. when the girl. with stifed
cry of joy beheld the advance guard of
Pharaoh's chariots sweep around the edge
OF the western shore and halt. Wild cries
of fear to the lips of the hurryiny
Hebrews, but Meerah instnctively checked
the she was riding. 1t was driven on
again by blows and shouts from those be-
hind, and the crossing of that last company
became stricken tumult for the remainder
of the way. Meerah. borne on by the pressing
crowd. with Harmi's hand on her bride
was forced helplessly to the other side, a
fugitive from her own hoped-for rescue.
Then the chariots entered cautiously upon
the rough road of the causeway, and the
wind lulled and the darkness fell. The
chariots plowed their way along the diff
cult path, and the wind soughed and
moaned in the weeds and reeds and came
in fitful gusts.
But the chariots held on their way dog
gedly, and the spearmen and the bowmen
and those who drove the horses encouraged
each other with shouts that they would be
soon among the palpitating mass of flu
gitives over against them. The Hebrews
stood still, afraid, on the other side, while
the women walled and covered their heads.
But Moses watched the reeds on the shore
to the south. Then he dipped his hand