Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-12-26

NAY. will stay here" Rahah
shouted back.
But thou must not! Make haste!
l 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.
AS Rahab went back to the little
frightened circle OF relatives the
doubt crept into her heart: "SuDr-ose
the lsraeltes 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"
Bu- she brushed aside the though,
ana spoke out bravely:
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 Cod.
But dawn came at last. and with it
a reinsurance to the people of the
city, which was quickly dispelled
when the lookouts in the towers on
the walls reported an unusual hctiy.
| 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
| spranS 10 their arms. The archers
] stood ready at the. word of command
/ to send their swift darts INFO the
ranks of the enemy as soon as they
/ drew near enough. ard the double
/ line of guards upon the wall We're
! 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 a 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 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 insight.
ticant they looked against the army
which the king of Jericho could mus
| ter Then came the long-robcd men
/ bearing something in their midst
| These must be the priests, and their
! burden must be the ark about which
they had heard so much But had
they had heard so much.
All day long in the streets Of the
city the discussion went cn as to what
was the meaning of these strange
! proceedings on the part of the Is.
raelites. And when next day thew
witnessed the same performance, and
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 near
enough for their strongest archers to
! reach them with their arrows? What
| harm could come to the great mass
| i've walls of Jericho when only the
| faint sound Of the trumpets of the
priests reached their ears.
On the fifth and sixth days In
which the children of Israel marched
/ about the city, the people of the city
| completely abandoned themselves tc
the merry, reckless spirit which took
/ possession of the city for the reac.
ton from the abject terror of the
| first days Of the coming of the Israel
! ties carried them to excuses which
| made of the city a veritable carnival
OF license. Ridicule OF the most brace,
sort was heaDed upon the God of the
lsraelites. Their gods were brought
forth and sacrilcial fires built before
them. And so as the seventh dav
/ dawned IL found the people fairly i'm.
toXicated with the excuses into which
they had been plunged 1y the strange
unwarlike conduct Of their enemies
! the Israeltes.
How long is this to continue9"
asked the king, as messengers came
10 him saying that the lsraelites were
AGAIN marching about the city. Since
carly morning they have been com
passing the city. they said. and al
ready now they have marched about
the city five times"
The king summoned tho captains
of his army and commended that the
soldiers be gathered under the walls
Of the city and prepare to go out
against the enemy which evidently
was not going TO make an assault
| upon the city
Thus 1T was that as the Isranlitcs
/ cnrnnlnfnd tho circle IL H.. -.