Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-03-11

l right before our eyes. Surely their God is mighty God that he could make a pathway through the Jordan and lead his people dry shod right in our very midst We have seen the smoke of Jericho and Ali ascending l into heaven, and we know that the ! strong armies of those cities could not stand before Joshua and his men. Then why should we hope to be more successful than they? And even though the armies of the allies should | be victorious, our country would be devastated, for it is here that the bat | tie would be waged. Let us make league with Israel and thus save our lives and our city.
 But" quickly interposed several voices. "have you not heard that 1s- rael will make no league with any or the inhabitants of the land, saying l that their God has forbidden it?2
 True" assented the old sage, un' perturbed by the seemingly lnsur- mountable difficulty, but let us dls- guise ourselves and come to them as from far country We shall put old sacks upon our asses, and old shoes and old garments upon us, ana we shall take old and rent wine bot ties ard dry and moldy bread, and we will come to them, and tell them that we have heard in the far coun- ] try the fame of their God and how mightily he has wrought and we have | n and worship him. Peradyenture they Will l hear us and will make league with us"
 This plan at once met the approval of the chief men of Gibeon, and the next morning when they had sent the messengers of the kings away they at once began preparations to carry out the plan.
 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal. Their arrival created no little stir, and quickly Joshua and the chief men assembled, and the strangers were admitted to their pres ence, and to the statement that they had come from 9, far country, Joshua made answer:
 Our God has commanded us saying that we should not make league With any of the inhabitants of the land. Peradventure ye dwell among us.
 Nay, but from a far country are thy servants come" they replied. Be cause of the name of the Lord thy God are we come. We have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Hesbon, and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants spake to us, saying: Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them: We are your servants. Therefore now make a league with us.
 Nay" interrupted Joshua, "but how do we know that ye have come from a far count-y?"
 Dramatically they turned, and lift ing the covers from their provision baskets, they said:
 Behold the evidence of our long journey See this our bread we took hot out of the ovens on the day we came forth to come hither, and behold now it is dry and moldy. See these l bottles of wine When they were filled as we started they were new, and behold, now they be rent. And behold our garments and our shoes, for they have become old and ragged by reason of the very long journey"
 Such seemingly indisputable evil dence quickly swept away all doubt from the minds of the men who stood with Joshua, and they persuaded him that it would be we'll at once to make league with these people.
 Joshua therefore made peace with them, and made league with them to let them live. And the men gathered with him, the princes of the congrega- tion, ratified the league.
 During all this time the people of Israel were talking one with another concerning the coming of these strangers, and as they saw them depart and learned that league had been made with them, they selected some of their number to follow these men, thing which had not occurred to Joshua or to the princes with him to do.
 As a result on the third day when these men returned they reported that the strangers had dealt with them de. ceitfully and had not come from a far country. but were really their neighbors living only short distance from Gilgal And they were wroth with Joshua and the princes for mak- ing the league and were for going at once against the Gibeonites, for, said they: "There is rich spoil in their cities which should be ours.'' But Joshua and the princes because of