Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-07-11

back and forth.
why should | not?" he muttered
to himself Am not king? and to
whom should the people look for en-
couragement but to the king?"
For nearly seven days now he had
held his little army together on the
promise and expectation that upon
the coming of Samuel the fortune of
the army of Israel would change. But
each day as he had waited he had
seen his army dwindle, and he knew
that even those who remained were
faint of heart, and unfit to enter into
conflict with their powerful foe, the
Philistines.
The latter had gathered a strong
army and had come up upon the land
and encamped at Michmash, the peo-
pie fleeing before the advancing host
and hiding in the rocks and caves,
and the thickets and wheresoever
there was afforded shelter. In fact
many of the people became so panic
stricken as to fee across the Jordan
to the land of Cad and Gilead And
King Saul had done the best he could.
He had given the signal throughout
the land calling the fighting men to-
gether and sought by every means to
rcassure the people
At the very beginning of the trou-
BILE, soon after Jonathan, Saufs son,
had thrown down the pillar of the
Philistines which they had erected to
indicate their rule over the couItry,
word had been sent to Samuel of the
critical condition of affairs and he
had sent back word that he would
come within seven days. Day after
day Saul had waited, each day find
ing the numbers and the courage of
his army growing less until at last
on the night on which we find him
pacing back and forth before his tent,
he has grown angry and desperate.
Then came the messenger telling of
the final assertions, aud the sudden
resolve to take matters in his own
hands. And then began struggle
with his conscience which ended only
with the coming of daylight and the
assembling of the people in accord
ance with his command.
All night long he fought the battle
in his heart. He felt uneasy and
tro.bled at the thought of assuming
the priestly function and offering the
sacrifices which it was lawful only
for the priest to offer But on the
other hand, he argued, here were the
desperate eXigencies of the situation,
hnt In 1Nn AID nc
king was he not over and above all
others in the kingdom? Who was there
to dare call into question his acts?
Had not Samuel failed him? Why
need he longer wait on him? In fact,
all depended upon prompt action.
| Thus reasoning in the pride and con-
| ceit of his own heart, he forgot to
count God in as a vital factor to sue
cess. He remembered not that it was
safer to wait on God even to the very
| brink of seeming misfortune than 1t
was to plunge forward trusting en-
tirely upon human strength and wis
| dom. He belittled the thought of
God and exalted his own position be-
| fore the people, so that it seemed at
least to him that his position and
authority were at stake, and that the
whole welfare of the nation conferred
around his decisive action.
Thus it came to pass that with the
coming together of the remnant of
his army on the following morning
Saul was prepared with proud and
willful spirit to make the offerings
which the people brought before him.
With punctilious care Saul per-
formed all the sacred functions while
the people looked on with admiring
and approving chances. So intent was
Saul upon the task in hand and so
absorbed were the people watching
their king that they did not observe
the quiet approach of a figure wrap
ped close in his dark robe and NOV.
ing slowly, but watching intently the
scene before him. Saul had just
laid the bleeding sacrifice upon the
smoking altar and had turned toward
the people as though he would bless
them, when 10 before him he sees a
figure that causes him to start and
tremble. At the same moment the
people CdLcn SlSnL OF tne new conner
and observing the familiar form, they
shout
Samuel has GOMEZ"
Samuel" are the faltering words
which drop from Saul's paling lips
and he struggles to gain control o.
himself, He steps forward and sa
lutes the prophet deferentially, but
Samuel, with an imperious gesture
stops him, and in stern tones de
mands:
What hast thou done?"
Because that l saw that the PEG
pie were scattered from me, and thai
thou earnest not within the days APP
pointed, and that the Philistines gath
cred themselves together at Mich
mash; therefore, said l, the Philistines
will coma down uDon mo at Hiloal