The Grenada sentinel., 1906-12-15

way, Will stay ACiC, A@i"S
shouted back.
"But thou must not! Make haste!
cannot longer parley with thee"
and the captain hurried off to direct
the preparations, which were being
made to strengthen the defenses OF
the city. 4
AS Rahab went back to the little
frightened circle Of relatives the
doubt crept into her heart: Suppose
the Israelites in their excitement and
in the rage and tumult of battle did
not see the sign in the window, after
all. Suppose they did not remember
in the fierce rush of the conflict"
But she brushed aside the thought,
and spoke out bravely:
1--WE will stay here where we were
bid. The scarlet cord is in the win
dow. The God of the Israelites will
remember. He will not let harm come
| to those who are sheltered under this
sign, which is the token OF his
pledge Of mercy.
Thus in Jericho that night while the
terror was upon the city, there was
| in the home of Rahab the whisper
ings of peace, because of the slender
faith which reached out after the true
God and the people. of the true God.
But dawn came at last, and with 1t
a reinsurance to the people of the
city, which was quickly dispelled
when the lookouts in the towers on
the walls reported an unusual activ-
| ity in the camp of Israel, and that
the armed men were gathering and
marching towards the city. Instant
ly the alarm spread throughout the
city, and again the fighting men
| sprang to their arms. The archers
stood ready at the word of command
to send their swift darts into the
ranks of the enemy as soon as they
drew near enough, and the double
line of guards upon the wall were
ready to hurl their spears and the
great rocks down upon the heads OF
the army when it should attempt to
storm the walls.
So intent were the men of Jericho
in making doubly sure the defenses OF
the city that they had not noticed
what was going on in the camp OF
Israel, but shout from the lookouts
drew their attention, and they heard
them exclaim in derisiOn:
What! Would they bring their
women and children to fight against
us? What motley crowd is this that
would take a strong city like Jeri'
cho?"
At these words all the soldiers
crowded for place upon the walls, and
they watched with amazement, and
then with contempt and derision, the
long line of Israelites as they slowly
marched around the city. There was
the little company of fighting men In
the lead. but how small and insigni
ficant they looked against the army
which the king of Jericho could mus
ter. Then came the long-robed men
bearing something in their midst
These must be the priests, and thei.
burden must be the ark about which
they had heard SO much. But hac
they had heard so much.
J All day long in the streets OF the
city the discussion went on as to wha1
} was the meaning of these strange
proceedings on the part OF the Is
raelites. And when next day they
witnessed the same performance, ant
the next and the next, their fears
gave place to that of reckless carou
, SAL What had they to fear from
the enemy which came not nea
, enough for their strongest archers tt
reach them with their arrows? Wha
harm could come to the great mass
I i've walls of Jericho when only thu
7 faint sound of the trumpets of thu
l priests reached their ears.
On the fifth and sixth days IL
which the children of Israel marched
about the city, the people of the cit!
completely abandoned themselves tt
| the merry, reckless spirit which tool
! possession of the city, for the reac
l ton from the abject terror Of th'
first days of the coming of the Israel
ties carried them to excesles whicl
3 made of the city veritable carniva
| of license. Ridicule of the most brazel
sort was heaped upon the God of thu
7 Israelites Their gods were brough
: forth and sacrifcia1 fires built befor'
3 them. And so as the seventh da.
! dawned 1t found the people fairly in
, toxicated with the excesses into whicl
i they had been plunged by the strange
unwarlike conduct of their enemies
3 the Israelites.
"How long is this to continue?
: asked the king, as messengers cam
5 to him saying that the Israelites wer
1 again marching about the city. "Sinc
/ early morning they have been com
$ passing the city, they said. "and a
/ ready now they have marched atou
4 the city five times"
The king summoned the captain
j of his army and commanded that tn
q soldiers be gathered under the wall
i of the city and prepare to go ou
+ against the enemy which evidentl
}, was not going to make an assaul
S upon the city.
@ Thus it was that as the Israelite
t completed the circle Of the city fo
}, the seventh time that morning the