rtmrrtTifff * * ' - * * "
Igr5 (
jr91 ? t >
tKe Fowler's $
By M. B. MANWELL -
.
x.v -
CHAPTER III. ( Continued. )
"It's our only chance , certainly ! "
instantly agreed the last comer. "If
we sllly-shally over the doing of it
much longer , we shall die like rats in
a hole , as the guard says ! "
"Then we'd better tear these ob
stinate fools off the engine and man it
ourselves ! " suggested a frantic pas
senger. "We can rush it through
somehow ! "
"Not so ! " was the calm answer.
"Our only chance in rushing the dau
ber is the speed. Now , if I and you , all
amateurs , man the engine and bungle
the thing , the chance is we should
roast before we got quite through the
flames.
"Now , ladies and gentlemen" he
turned courteously to the passengers
surging round "I must ask you to
trust your bodies to me , and your souls
well , according to your several
creeds ! "
With a strangely harsh , empty laugj
the stranger ascended the
turning his dark face to say
torily : "Take your places aboard the
train instantly , every man , woman and
child !
"Now , my friends , I'll taclde you ! "
He faced round to the engine men.
So near was the train to the flrt
that the heat was insufferable the
faces of the men were almost skinned.
"Warm work , my hearties , this ! "
the stranger said , almost cheerfully , as
he beat the hot air slowly with wav
ing hands , and pressed his face closer
to the scorched visages on the engine.
"You get off this 'engine , mister ! "
furiously began the driver. "I'll brain
any man who tries to boss - "
The wrathful words ended in a sud
den sigh , and the driver's arms fell
softly at his sides as the invader of the
engine turned to the stoker , a power
fully -built man.
"You heard what my mate ' said ,
didn't ysr ? " struck in the man. "You
git off , or I'll I'll - " There was
the same singular collapse , the same
lamb-like - attitude. Both grimy men
stoqd motionless and meek facing the
intruder.
"Just so , " observed the last equably.
Then , leaning over , his strident voice
clanged harshly along the snow shed :
"Every soul aboard ? Keep all windows
dews and -doors fast for your lives ! "
"What is it. Gervis ? Are we safe
yet ? " faintly whispered Gladdy. The
girl , who had only seemed to shake
off her curious attack of insensibility
within the last few minutes , was star
ing vaguely round the car.
She v/ondercd idly why most of the
women were on their knees , and why
the little children were clasped so
frantically to their mothers. Surely
the tiny creatures would be smothered
in such embraces.
And why was Gervis. her husband ,
breathing in that curiously labored
fashion , as if he had been running
Jiard ?
Then she became aware , as he laid
his cheeks against her own , that his
face was wet 'and cold , clammy per
spiration.
"Gervis ! " she cried , a vague alarm
awakening her at last , "speak to me ! "
"Can't you pray , Gladdy ? " whispered
Gervis. and the clasp of his arms tight
ened round his wife.
"Pray , Gervis ? What do you mean ? "
wonderingly said Gladdy. And Gervis
drew his brows together.
And yet was it not better that she
should know , poor little Gladdy in her
newly wedded happiness ?
Outside the cars , now tightly closed ,
the men on the engine , who were going
to fight the flames doggedly , were
grimly and rapidly making ready.
The heat had become intolerable ,
and redly glowing sparks were shower
ing down the -blazing roof. The peril
was already so deadly that there was
no choice. A dash for dear life must
be made !
Suddenly a great tongue of flame
darted along the roof with a hissing
sound. The haggard , white faces in
the cars could distinguish every tim
ber in the shed's wooden walls in the
mew glare. The fire was gaining with
.a deadly stireness.
"Quick , men ! We are taking our
Jives in , our hands ! Here , reach me
rthai bale of waterproofing ! We must
divide it between us to cover as much
of our persons as we can ! "
Jt was a sharp , vibrating voice , with
a note of command , that hastily or
dered.
Then came the hoarse order for
which the cowed enginemen were
meekly waiting.
"Ready ? Then go ! Top speed ! "
The long train , with its large cars.
creaked and groaned ; the tongues of
flame darted upward hissingly ; the
burning rafters crackled and snapped ;
the smoke rolled along in heavy clouds
that choked all who rode on the ill-
fated train.
"God in His mercy , help us ! We're
off ! "
The train was cutting its way
through the sheet of flame that had
walled it in.
CHAPTER IV.
It was over this daring venture
and over safely !
Outside in the open , in the clear cold
air of the starless night , the long train
drew up under the softly falling flakes
of feathery snow.
Half-paralyzed men and fainting
women in the cars knew they were
safe , and there was a brief hush , while
.sobbing thanksgivings broke from lips
that seldom pray. Then there was a
rush to examine the cars , which had ,
providentially , not caught fire.
"So far as we know , we are all
saved , " was the thankful chorus that
went round , as the passengers stood
about on the snow stamping thoJr feet.
"How on earth did we get our here ,
mate ? " was the hoarse whisper from
one of the blackened , smoked figures
wrapped in waterproof on the en
gine.
"I don't know ! " was the answer. "I
thought we was bound to roast in
the fire , but here we are ! Beats all ! "
"That's so ; but we're safe ; that's
good enough for me , anyhow ! "
"The sooner you people get aboard
the cars again the better. "
It was a courteous , almost concilia
tory voice , hut it was the same that
a short time before had given the word
of command that saved the trainful of
human -beings. Instantly the speaker
was surrounded and a torrent of
l.'ianks assailed his ears.
"Pray , don't overwhelm me ! " He
raised his long , lean hands deprecat-
ingly. "What have I done ? Merely
suggested a way out of the difficulty. "
But his modesty was overruled. The
overwrought passengers found an out
let for their agitation in demanding
the name of their preserver , in order ,
they said , "to add it to our prayers ,
and teach it to our little ones. "
"My name is Paul Ansdell , " politely
said the stranger. Then he added hur
riedly , as if to choke off any further
questions : "I am a scientist by pro
fession , and am at present traveling
for material regarding a subject sug
gested by the society to which I have
the honor to belong. I hope I have
explained to your satisfaction , ladies
and gentlemen. "
Under the courteous tones there was
a distinct element of mockery , which
served to chill the warm gratitude of
the passengers. In twos and threes
they dispersed , some to get aboard the
train into the shelter and comfort and
warmth ; others to stand in the snow
and watch with awe the roaring flames
now mercifully behind them.
"The weather tonight is so dry-cold ,
even for the time o' year , that the
fire has got a firm hold. The whole
shed's doomed , " said the guard. "It's
bin a wonderful deliverance from an
awful death , gentlemen. We've need to
thank God on our knees. "
The man looked round on the groups
huddled together on the snow , which
the roaring fire lighted up around
them.
And- , indeed , the delivered passen
gers were , each in his or her own way ,
thanking God.
Here a young mother , her soft arms
round a little child , knelt in the snow
murmuring. Near her a clergyman
was , with lips rapidly moving , thank
ing God for his safety.
Here , again , an iron gray-haired man
stood -bowed for a few seconds to of
fer up his thanks for the frail invalid
wife , the love of his youth , whom he
had just lifted back into the car.
It was indeed a solemn sight , the
little thanksgiving service out on the
snowy plains , upon which , the grim
mountains frowned down through the
small , dry flakes of falling snow.
"Now it strikes me we should do
well to be getting ahead. The night
is upon us , and I can tell you it will
take us all we can to stand the colds
of midnight and early morning. "
It was the voice of Paul Ansdell that
broke the spell. He was standing with
arms folded on the rear platform of
the cars , looking down with half-shut
eyes upon the reverently bowed heads
of his fellow travelers. No meaning
for him had this communing with the
Divine Creator , who had stretched out
a helping hand in the grave peril. ,
Had any cry broken from his lips to
ascend on high it would have been the
exceeding bitter one of the Psalmist :
"Lord , why castest Thou off my soul ?
Why hidest Thou Thy face from me ? "
But it was many a year since this
man had abandoned prayer. He was
not an unbeliever in one sense , for no
man knew better than Paul Ansdell
that there exists an over-ruling Power ,
who moves and shapes humanity at
His will. Otherwise it would have
been the worse for his fellow men ,
seeing that Paul Ansdell held certain
ill-gotten secrets that would have endowed
dewed himself with an illimitable do
minion over the lives and the fortunes
of others. But as it was he gnashed
his teeth over the checkmates that
blocked his wicked way and protected
his victims. So far the man had faith
in his larger and bolder flights.
The two aims he lived for were to
win a colossal fortune , and to preserve
his life as long as possible. To die ,
to crumble into dust , was to him a
hideous prospect , and he had no other
his creed forbade all such. To save
himself more than his companions he
had put forth his utmost strength of
will. He had succeeded strangely ,
'
even marvelously. Paul Ansdell
smiled contentedly as he leane-.l ,
strangely exhausted for a man who
had simply lifted his voice , not his
hands , to the rescue. He was con
gratulating himself that his will pow
er was increasing enormously. Then
he heard a hurried voice at his ear.
"Mr. Ansdell , I've brought my wife
to thank you for your splendid bravery
in saving the whole lot of us , " Gervis
Templeton was saying earnestly , and
his hand was pressing the shoulder of
Paul , who wheeled sharply around , to
glance for one swift second at the lit-
tie shrinking figure behind Gervis.
Then his eyes turned away to the
flame-reddened snow.
"Come , Gladdy , this is the hero of
the hour. Haven't you a word , to give
him ? "
Gladdy must have heard her hus
band's urgent whisper , and yet she
spoke not a syllable. Silently and wist
fully the girlish bride was gazing up
Into the dark face of Paul Ansdell. It
was as though her soul was dumbly
questioning that of the man who had
saved her life.
"Dear , say something ! " In the low
ered voice of Gervis there was a per
emptory note. He was annoyed at his
wife's extraordinary awkwardness as
much as he was puzzled. What could
the man think of her ? The thought
crossed 'his mind as he took Gladdy's
cold , small fingers in his to encour
age her. But Paul's attention as well
as Paul's eyes were being given to
the outside world. *
"I fear we're going to have a night
of it , perhaps another chapter of ac
cidents who knows ? -for the snow
will be tremendously deep at certain
curves I know of ahead , " he said.
And , under cover of his words , Gladdy
drew her hand from that of her hus
band , and slipped back into t-he draw
ing-room car. She was the only one
of the passengers who had failed to
offer thanks to the rescuer of the train.
The cars were moving off on their
journey once again , and the men were
chatting to one another ,
a * *
"Not so bad for the first move in
the game ! "
The triumphant words whisperingly
from the lips of Paul Ansdell as he sat
alone in the smoking compartment ,
leaning back in his chair , his dark ,
baleful eyes watching the smoke
wreaths lazily rising ever his head.
CHAPTER V.
Paul Ansdell was right in his sur
mises. The scientist , as a rule , was
right somehow. The fine , feathery
snow resolved itself into a perfect
blizzard a few hours later , and the
train , after plunging through deep
drifts , cutting its way gallantly , was
brought to a standstill.
Fortunately they were close to a
prairie station when the stoppage took
place.
"We must make the best of it , "
cheerfully agreed the passengers.-
"There's plenty to eat and drink
aboard the train , thank goodness , and
we can get out and stretch our legs
without any danger of being lost in
the snow , for it's hard as iron. "
"Will you come out and take a turn
with me ? " pleasantly asked Paul Ans
dell. coming over to Gervis Templeton ,
who was staring disconsolately out of
the window.
Gladdy had chosen to remain in her
berth -breakfast , and showed as yet
no inclination to leave It.
"I should like it above all things : "
the young Englishman eagerly said.
And presently the two men , wrapped
up to the eyes , were tramping over the
shining , snowy expanse beyond the lit
tle station.
"Are you going to make any stay at
Montreal ? " asked Paul carelessly.
"Not over a few days , to see the
place. " was the answer. "I am taking
my wife to England to spend Christ
mas in the old home , so our time is
limited. Otherwise there's nothing I
should like better than to winter in
the Dominion. It's a glorious land ,
and Gladdy , my wife , would have rev
eled in the ice carnival and all the
other delights of a Montreal winter.
But it can't be helpted. My people
are eager to see and know her. We
have not been long mai'ried , you see , "
he added , a little lamely.
"I know , " curtly said Paul Ansdell.
"I was in 'Frisco when your wedding
took pl'ace ; and I knew old Hiram
Fairweather , your wife's father per
sonally , I mean. A sharp , astute old
chap , that. Made his pile , eh ? "
( To be continued. )
SOME ARE ODD.
Geographical Names Out in Arkansas.
A commercial traveler recently re
turned from a trip through Arkansas
was speaking the other day of the
nomenclature of the towns and coun
ties of that state. "As a township
name , " said he , 'nothing seems so
popular as a name ending in 'creek. '
There are Beech , Mill. Barren , Dutch ,
Long , Big , Peter , Clear. Pierre , Flat ,
Crooked , Sugar and Day creeks scat
tered through the state as townships.
There are Eagle and War Eagle town
ships , and one is named after Grover
Cleveland. Yell is both a township
and county name , but the people are
not particularly noisy in those places ,
in spite of the name. Many names
are reminders of the old French oc
cupation , such as Petit Jean , Terre
Noir , Fayette , Lagrue , De Bastrop and
St. Francis , names of townships.
Sugarloaf seems to be a popular name
for towns in Arkansas , why , I do
not know ; and one community calls
itself by the intensely prosaic name o *
Railroad. Colonel Bowie , he of the
celebrated knife , has his name per
petuated by a township name , and so
has Daniel Boone and Bryan. The
population of Arkansas is now nine
ty times what it was when the first
census was taken of it. in 1820 , but
the increase has been slow in the last
decade compared with previous ones.
The population has increased in the
last ten years only 164 per cent ,
whne in the ten years before the in
crease was over 40M : per cent. ' '
Precious Woods Wasted.
Rosewood and mahogany are so
plentiful in Mexico that some of the
copper mines there are timbered \vith
rosewood , while mahogany is used as
fuel for the engines.
TALMAGE'S SEIIMON.
SOME LESSONS IN CHRISTIAN
V/ARFARE.
Encouraging IVorilK for Tlumt
In the llatth'K of J.lfe < oil'u Sol-
tilers NV\er Turn Juckuur < l Divine
( Copyright IfiOO. Louis Klojisdi. N. Y. )
In this discourse Dr. Talmaye fol
lows Joshua on iiis triumphal march
and speaks encouraginz words to all
who are engaged in the battle of this
life ; text , Joshua i , " , "There hhall not
any man be able to stand l > ? iore theu
all the days of thy life. "
Moses was dead. A beautiful tiadi-
tion says the Lord kissed him and in
that act drew forth the sjul of the ( ly
ing lawgiver. He had been buried , only
one person at the funeral , the same
one who kissed him. But God never
takes a man away from any place of
usefulness until he has same one
ready to replace him. The Lord ( toes
not go looking around amid a great
variety of candidates to find some one
especially fitted for the vacated posi
tion. He makes a man for that place.
Moses has passed off the stage , and
Joshua , the hero , puts his foot on the
platform of history so solidly that all
the ages echo with the tread , lie was
-a magnificent fighter , but h always
fought on the right side , and he never
fought unless God told him to fight.
He got his military equipment from
God , who gave him the promise at the
start , "There shall not any man be
able to stand before thee all the day
of thy life. " God fulfilled this prom
ise , although Joshua's first brittle V.MS
with the spring freshet , the next wiili
a stone wall , the next leading 0:1 a
regiment of whipped cowards and the
next battling against darkne : . wheel
ing the sun and the mo.r. into his
battalion , and the last against the
king of terrors , death-five great vic
tories.
As a rule wiicn the general of an
army starts out in a war he would
like to have a small battle in order
that he may get his own courage up
and rally his troops and get them
drilled for greater conflicts , but the
first undertaking of Joshua was great
er than the leveling of Fort Pulaski ,
or the assault of Gibraltar , or the
overthrow of the Bastille. It was the
crossing of the Jordan at the time of
the spring freshet. The snows of
Mount Lebanon had just been melt
ing , and they poured down into the
valley , and the whole valley was a
raging torrent. So the Canaanites
stand on one bank , and they look
across and see Joshua and the Israel
ites , and they laugh and say : -'Aha ,
they cannot disturb us until the freshets - i
ets fall ! It is impossible for them to j
reach tis. " But after awhile they h.ok j
across the water , and they see a move- '
nient in the array of Joshua. They :
say : "What is the matter now ? Why , i
there must be a panic among those '
troops , and they are going io fly. or j
perhaps they are going to try to march j i
across the river Jordan. .Joshua is a I
lunatic. " But Joshua , the chieftain ,
looks at his army and cries. "Forward. \
march ! " and they start for the bank of }
the Jordan. One mile ahead go two !
priests carrying a glittering box four | I
feet long and two feet wide. It is the j
ark of the covenant. And they come j
down , and no sooner do they just j
touch the rim of the water with their j ;
feet than , by an Almighty fiat. Jordan 1
parts. The army of Joshua mim-hes i
right on without getting their fcf wet. j
over the bottom of the river , a path
of chalk and broken shells and pebbles - j I
bles , until they get to the other hank. !
Then they law hold of the oleanders
and tamarisks and willows and pull
themselves up a bank : ! 0 or 40 feet I
high , and having gained the other j i
bank they clap their shields ani ; their i
cymbals and sing the praises of the j j
God of Joshua. But no sooner have i
they reached the bank than the waters ,
begin to dash and roar , and with a j j j
terrific rush they break loose from j
their strange anchorage. j
> "o Going : llackwanl. I
As the hand of the Lord God is 1
taken away from the thus uplifted wa
ters waters perhaps unlifted half a
mile they rush down , and ? ome of
the unbelieving Israelites say : "Alas.
alas , what a misfortune : Why could ;
not those waters have staid parted ? ;
Because perhaps we may want to go | i
back. O Lord , we are engaged in a '
risky business. Those Canaanites may I
eat us up. How if we want to go j i
back ? Would it not have been a more j I
complete miracle if the Lord had I
parted the waters to let us come i
through and kept them parted to let , j
us go back if we are defeated ? " My ' .
friends , God makes no provision for .
a Christian retreat. He clears the path J 1
all the way to Canaan. To go back I
is to die. The same gatekeepers that 1
swung back the amethystine and crys ;
talline gate of the Jordan to let Israel ;
pass through now swung shut the ' '
amethystine and crystalline gate of j
the Jordan to keep the Israelites from t
going back. Victory ahead , but water
SO feet deep behind , surging to death j
and darkness and WOP. But yon say.
"Why did not these Canaanites.vhrn 1
they had such .1 snlendirihamp. .
standing on the top of the bank : .0
or 40 feet high , completely demolish :
those poor Israelite ? down in the I
river ? " I will tell you why. Goil had i
made a promise , and he was going to j i
keep it. "There shall not any man be j
able to stand before thee all the days J
of thy life. " j
But this is no plare for the host to ;
'
stop. Joshua gives the command.
"Forward , march ! " In the distance
there is a long grove of trees , and at
the end of the grove is a city. It is
a city with arbors , a city with walls
ueeming to reach to the heavens , to
buttress the very sky. It is the great
metropolis that commands the moun
tain pass. It is Jericho. That city
was afterv.'ard captured by Pompey
and ouce by Herod the Great and once
igain by the Mohammedans , but this
campaign the Lord plans. There shall
be no swords , no shields , no battering
ram. There shall be only one weapon
of war and thnt a ram's born. The
horn of the slain ram was sometimes
taken , and holes were punctured in
it , and then the musician would put
the instrument to his lips , and he
would run his fingers over this rude
musical instrument and make a great
deal of s > veet harmony for the people.
That was the only kind of weapon.
Seven priests were to take these rude ,
rustic musical instruments , and they
were to go around the city every day
for six days ono u day for six days
and then one the seventh day they
were to go around blowing these rude
musical instruments seven times , and
thru at the close ol" the seventh blowIng -
Ing of the ram's horns on the seventh
day the peroration of the whole scene
was to bp a shout , at which those
great walls should tumble from cap
stone to base.
A'iolor.v Follows Defeat.
The seven priests with the rude mu
sical instruments pass all around Ui
city walls on the first dav and score a
failure. No so mtu-h as a piece of
plaster broke loose from the wall , not
so much as a loosened rock , not so
much as a piece of mortar lost from
its place. "There , " ' say the unbeliev
ing Israelites , "did I not tc-ll you so ?
Why , those minister/ ; are fools. The
idea , of going around the city with
those musical instruments ssnd expect
ing in that way to destroj it. Joshua
has been spoiled. He thinks because
he has overthrown and conquered the
spring freshet lie ran overthrow the
stone wall. Why. it is not philosophic.
Do you not see there is no relation
between th blowing of these musical
instruments and the knocking down
of the wall ? It is not philosophic. "
And I suppose there were many wise
acres who stood with their brows
knitted and with the forefinger of the
right hand to the forefinger of the left
hand arguing it all out and showing
that it was not possible that such a
cause could produce such an effect.
And I suppose that night in the en
campment there was plenty of carica
ture , and if Joshua had been nom
inated for any high military position
he would not have received many
votes. Joshua's stock was tlown. The
second day the priests blowing the
musical instruments go around the city
and again a failure. The third day
and a failure , the fourth day and a
failure , fifth day and a failure , sixth
day and a failure. The seventh day
comes , the climacteric day. Joshua is
up early in the morning and examines
the troops , walks all abaul. looks at
the citj wall. The priests start to
make the circuit ot" the city. They go
all around one , all around twice , three
times , four times , five time ! ? , aix times ,
seven times , and a failure. There is
only one more thing to do. and that is
to utter a roat shout. I SOP the Is-
raelitish army straightening them
selves up , filling their lungs for a vo-
oiferation stic-h as never was heard before -
fore and never heard after. Joshua
feels that the hour has roine , and he
cries cut to his host , "Shout , for the
\Mril \ hath given you the city. " All to-
getlier the troops shout : "Down. Jeri-
oho ! Down Jericho ! " And the long
line of solid masonry begins to quiver
and to move and to rock. Stand from
under ! She falls ! Crash go the Avails
and temples , the towers , the palaces ,
the air blackened with the dust. The
huzza of the victorious Israelites and
the groan of the conquered Canaanites
vommingle , and Joshua , standing there
in the debris of the walls , hears a
voice sayinjr. "There shall not any man
be able to stand before thee all the
'lays of thy life. "
The Savior' * DelUeraner.
Only one house spared. Who lives
there ? Some great king ? No. Some
woman distinguished for great kindly
deeds ? Xo. She had been conspicu-
ous for her rrimes. It is the houee of
Rahul ) . Why was her house spared ?
Because she had bcrn a great sinner ?
No , but because she repented , demon
strating to all the ages that there is
mercy for the chief of sinners. The
red r-ord of divine injunction reaching
from her window to the ground , so
that when the people saw the red cord
they knew it was the divine indication
thfit they should not disturb the
premises , making us think of the di-
vine cord of a Savior's deliverance , the
red cord of a Savior's kindness , the
red cord of a Savior's mercy , the red
cord of our rescue. Mercy for the
chief of sinners. Put your trust in
that God , and no damage shall befall
you. When our world shall be more
terribly surrounded than was Jericho ,
even by the trumpets of the judgment
day and the hills and the mountains ,
the metal bones and ribs of nature
shall break , they who have had Ra-
hub's faith shall have Rahab's deliv-
era nee.
When wrapped in fire the realms of
ether glow
And heaven's last thunder shakes the
earth below
' 1 hou. undismayed , shalt o'er the ruins
smile
And light thy torch at nature's funeral -
ral pile.
But Joshua's troops may not halt
here. The command is. "Forward ,
march : " There is tfie city of Ai. It
must be taken. How shall it be taken ?
A scouting party comes back and says :
Joshua , we can < io that without you.
It is going to be a very easy job. You
must stay here while we go and cap
ture it. " They march with a small
regiment in front of that city. The
men of Ai look at them and give one
yell , and the Israelites run like rein-
' 1 he northern troops at Bull Run
- ' f
* '
time as
did not make such rapid ifR
Israelites witla the CaiuuuuteB
cot such a
thorn. They never
n 9
on the >
flgure as when they were 't
out in the oatUes
treat. You who go
, totead
half a force
of God with only
of AI the men
of your taking the men
af Ai will take you. Look at the
retreat The
church of God on the
Borncalan cannibals ate up Munson.
: ho missionary. "Fall back ! ' said a
great many Christian people. * al
imck , O church of God ! Borneo will
never be taken. Do you not see the
Borupsiau cannibals have eaten up
Munson , the missionary ? " Tyndall de
livers'his lecture at the University of
Glasgow , and a great many good people
ple say : "Fall back. O church of God !
Do you not see that Christian philoso
phy is going to be overcome by world
ly philosophy ? Fall back ? " Geology
plunges its crowbar into the moun
tains , and there are a great many people
ple who say : "Scientific investigation
is going to over throw the Mosaic ac
count of the creation. Fall back ! "
Guil' * Solillors Must Advance ,
But friends of God never have hud
any right to fall back. Joshua falls
on his fae in chagrin. It is the only
time you ever see the back of his head.
He falls on his face and begins to
whine , and he says. "O Lord God.
wherefore hast thou at all brought thiu
people over Jordan to deliver us into
the hands of the Amorites , to destroy (
us ? Would to God we had been conr
toi'.t and dwelt on the other side of
Jordan. For the Canaanites and all
tJin inhabitants of the land shall hear
of it and shall environ us round and
cut off our name from the earth. " I
am very glad Joshua saui that. Before
it seemed as if he were a supernatural
being and therefore could not be an
example to us , but I find he is a man ,
he is only a man. Just as sometimcd
you find a man under severe opposi
tion or in a bad stale of physical
health , or worn out with overwork ,
Ijmg down ana sighing about being
defeated. 1 am encouraged when I
hear this cry of Joshua as he lies in
the dust. God conies and rouses him.
How does he rouse him ? By compli
mentary apostrophe ? No. He says ,
"Get thee up. Wherefore liest thou
upon thy face ? " Joshua rises , and , I
warrant you , with a mortified look.
But his old courage comes back. The
fact was that was not his battle. If
he had been in it he would have gone
on to victory. He gathers his troops
around him and says : "Now , let us
go up and capture the city of Ai. Let
us go up right away. " They march ,
on. He puts the majority of the troops
behind a ledge of rocks in the night ,
and then he sends comparatively small
regiments up in front of the city. The Vi-
men of Ai come out with a shout. The
small regiments of Israelites in strata
gem fall back , and fall bark , and when
all the men of Ai have left the city
and are in pursuit of these scattered ,
or seemingly scattered , regiments ,
Joshua stands on a rock I see hla
locks flying in thewind as he points
his spear toward the doomed city , and
that is the signal. The men rush out
from behind the rocks and take the
city , and it is pur to the torch , and
then these Isranliteo in the city march
down , and the flying Israelites return ,
and between these two waves of Is-
raolitish prowess the men of Ai are
destroyed , and the Israelites gain the
victory ; and while I see the curling
smoke of that destroyed city on the
sky , and while I hear the huzza of the
Israelites and the groan of the Ca
naanites. Joshua hears something
louder than It all. ringing and echo
ing through his soul , "There shall not
any man be able to stand before thee
all the days of thy life. "
Xo 11n < * e to Slop.
But this is no place for the hot ot
Joshua to stop. "Forward , march ! "
cries Joshua to the troops. There is
the city of Gibeon. It has put itself
under the protection of Joshua. They
send word : "There are five kings
after us. They are going to destroy
us. Send troops quick. Send us help
right away. " Joshua has a three day's
march , more than double quick. On
the morning of the third day he is be
fore the enemy. There are two long
lines of battle. The battle opens with
great slaughter , but the Canaanites
soon discover something. They say :
"That is Joshua. That is the man
who conquered the spring freshet and
knocked down the stone walls of
Jericho and deptroyod the < -ty of Ai.
There is no use fighting. " They sound
a retreat , and as they begin to retreat
Joshua and his host spring upon them
like a panther , pursuing them over the
rocks , while the catapults of the sky
pour a volley of hailstones into the val
ley , and all the artillery of the heav
ens , with bullets of iron , pound the
Canaanites against the ledges of Bett-
horon. "Oh. " sa3\s Joshua , "this is
surely a victory ! " "But < lo yon not
see the sun is going down ?
Look out when a jjood man makes
the Lord his ally. Joshua raises his
face , radiant with prayer , and looks
at the descending sun over Gibeon and
at the faint crescent of the moon , for
you know the eucen of the nieht
sometimes will linger around thp
palaces of th * day. Pointing one hand
at the descending sun and the other
at the faint crescent of the moon , in
the name of that God who shaped 'the
worlds and moves the worlds he cries :
"Sun. stand thou still upon Gibon ,
and thou. moon , in the valley of
Ajalon ! " They halted. Whether it was
by refraction of '
the sun's
rays or by
the stopping of the whole planetary
system I do not know and do not care
I leave it to the Christian Scientists"
and the infidel
scientists to settle that
question , while I tell you I have seen
the same thing. "What ? " say you
"
"Not the sun standing "
still ? Yes
The same miracle is performed
nowa
days. The
wicked
do not live out half
their day. and their
sun sets
at noon. , * ,
& '