The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-03-01

tain Businesses and had scattered his
followers he sued for peace, and, hav
ing apparently accepted the yoke and
rule of King Eglon, Ehud was re.
stored to bis lands again.
This had much to do with subduing
other rebellious spirits, for they rea
soned that if Ehud, the mighty Ben.
iamite, was going to yield to the
Moabitish king, it were folly for them
to withstand him and refuse to pay
tribute
AS the years passed the oppression
became more bitter until at last the
people began to cry unto their God
for help, meeting in the caves and
the mountain Businesses, and secluded
retreats in the forests, where sacri-
fee was made and the worship Of
their God was held.
And bitterly did they repent Of
their iolly and sin which had made
| them first the friends and associates
of the Moabites, and then their slaves
! What deep humiliation it was for
them, and how as the years dragged
on and the heavy tribute was collect.
ed, the people yearned for deliver
| anCe and a restoration to their old
time power and influence. Sin is a
hard taskmaster, and he eXacts full
measure Of penalty for every indul
gence granted. And SO it was with
the children Of Israel For IS long
years the heavy hand of King Eglou
was felt
During the latter half Of this PEI
riod Ehud by his apparent loyalty to
King EglOn, won the lattor'S favor
and confidence and was entrusted not
only with the task Of receiving the
| tax money from the people, but with
carrying the same to the king at the
royal city. When there had been in.
| cipient revoltS against the payment OF
| the tax he advised submission, point
ing out that it were only to invite
greater hardship and a heavier tax
to rebel And when this led the
people to distrust him, some openly
charging him with disloyalty to his
| own people and his God he made nc
reply, which was taken by the people
as an admission of guilt.
Now Ehud had pledged himself in
the secrecy of his own heart to the
task OF helping Israel to deliyerance,
and he realized that he could not
trust himself to the counsels Of his
people, lest the king should be led
to suspicion him. In fact, he knew
that the very hostility and resent.
ment Of his people against him would
strengthen the kings faith in him,
and perhaps give him the opportunity
he sought of striking an effective
blow for independence.
Thus as time went on the breach
| between Ehud and his brethren grew
wider and wider, and at last the lat.
ter entered into a conspiracy against
him. The time had arrived for the
taking Of the annual present to the
king, and Ehud was busy gathering
the treasure, all unconscious Of the
plan to lie in wait for him as he de-
parted for the royal city, to kill him
and seize the treasure.
Tidings of this thing in some way
reached the ears of the king, and he
sent his servants to warn Ehud, who,
as soon as he understood the temper
Of the people. realized that the time
had come for him to act.
Now up to this time there was not
a weapon in all Israel, save such as
the soldiers of the king carried, Meth
er was it possible to obtain the metal
out of which to make them. How.
ever, Ehud, in the present extremity,
succeeded in obtaining a fragment
from the side of one of the kings
bronze chariots which had been
broken, and all that night he labored
in fashioning it into long dagger,
putting a keen edge on both sides Of
the blade. This he girded upon his
right side, for he was as clever in the
use of his left hand as his right,
and the next morning took up his
journey with those who had been ap.
pointed to go with him. But instead
Of going by the usual route he made a
detour and thus safely arrived before
the king and having presented the of.
fering, he departed with those with
him.
Now he had scarcely gotten beyond
the court of the craven images which
surrounded the palace of the king
when he suddenly turned himself
back, and again sought the presence
of Tho lyinp