The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-04-05

hlIlf oIdlI DdCh ana eaten his breath
and mutter:
lothian! BY the gods thought
my men had slain him! Or is it his
spirit?"
But this dismay gave place to Won
DER as he listened to the remarkable
parable which lothian spoke.
Let fire come out from Abime-
lech," he cried in closing "and devour
the men of Shechem, and the house
OF Milo; and let fire come out from
the men of Shechem and from the
house of Milo, and devour Abime-
lech."
Quickly Abimelech recovered him.
self and his lips curled in scorn, and
his eye flashed fire as he shouted to
his men to hasten forward and seize
the man. But it was no easy or quick
task to gain the heights where the
man stood and ere they had reached
the place lothian had made good his
escape.
One, two, three years sped by. Abb.
melech ruled over Shechem and the
surrounding country, and prosperity
seemed to attend him, If the words
which lothian had sp0Ien ever oc.
CURED to him they did not trouhle
MN. Word had come to him soon
after he had been made king that
lothian, his half brother, was at Beer
and the murderous passion had seized
him to kill him as he had killed the
other 20 of his fathers sons. but lust
as he had completed all his plans to
this end, Jotham's words Of warning
had come to him, and LAUGHING in his
mad deriSiOn, he had exclaimed.
NAY, let the COWardly dog live that
he may know that his words will not
come true"
Thus the three years had passed,
and Abimelech's power seemed
stronger than ever. He felt secure
in his position and the patronizing,
flattering methods by which he had
ingratiated himself into the conf.
dence of the peonle Of Shechem had
given place to a domineering. and
cruel spirit more natural for him, and
where formerly he had been disposed
to defer to the wishes of those over
whom he exercised lordship. he now
was governed only by the caprice and
desire Of his own cruel nature. Woe
to anyone who should cross his pur.
pose or fail TO carry ont the dictates
of his will. MANY an one had felt the
strength of his mower and what he
did not dare do in the omen he found
mean spirits like his own which were
ready to strike the blow In the dark.
so that more than one OF his enemies
suddenly disappeared to be heard Of
no more.
Such was his desnotic ru,e and Il
NAV VOL no understood +bot # oava
rise to under currnntc If onnncition
which wera only awaiting q favorahIa
opnortunitv to hurst forth and enqulf
him. And so it came to mass when
Abimelech found occasion to 90 from
Shechem for season the hitter
hatred against him crvsta,lized into
action and II was not long ere the
entire citv was swent into omen and
declared rebellion against him under
the leadership of one Gaal. the son of
Fbed a hOastful fellow whose tongue
was stronger than his courage,
When word of this thing reached
Abimelech he was wroth and came up
against Gaal and his men and when
he had driven them before him, he
laid wait before the civ and took
il bv strategy. and laid il waste. and
DESTROYED the inhabitants thereof,
even to the strong tower of Shechem
whittier the men and women of the
CITY had sought refuge.
Yea" he exclaimed, with grim
humor, "the fire of Abimelech hath
gone forth and DESTROYED the city.
Now we shall see whether the fire
from Shechem will come forth to de-
stroy Abimelech."
But if Abimelech had had his re.
venge, his own stronghold and power