haps it was the gay
colour of his coat that first told them who it was, and perhaps it was
the coat that reminded them of their hate and envy, and brought back
to their memory again those dreams so full of pride.

"Behold, this dreamer cometh!" they said one to another. "Come now,
therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we
will say, 'Some evil beast hath devoured him!' and we shall see what
will become of his dreams."

With dark looks of hate they watched the gay figure coming so joyfully
towards them, and only one heart felt any pity for the boy. Reuben,
the eldest brother, made up his mind quickly that he would save him if
possible. Only he must set to work cunningly, for those other nine
brothers were very determined men.

So he began by suggesting that it seemed quite unnecessary to kill
the boy themselves when the easiest plan would be just to put him down
the pit, which was close at hand, and there leave him to die. (For he
thought if he could persuade them to do this he would come back and
save Joseph when the others had gone.) Never dreaming of evil, Joseph
came on, and now he ran eagerly up to them and began to give them
their father's message.

[Illustration: "Behold, this dreamer cometh!"]

But the rough hands held out to him were not held out in welcome. The
brothers seized the boy and savagely tore off his beautiful coat, as
if the very sight of it hurt their eyes, and then they hurried him
towards the pit which Reuben had pointed out.

Then Joseph knew that they meant to kill him. He knew that if they
threw him into one of those deep narrow pits there was no chance of
climbing up its steep sides, even if he were not immediately drowned
in the water which often gathered at the bottom.

Was he never to see his father and little brother again? never to
spend any more happy days in the fields under the blue sky? It was
useless to cry out and beg for pity. Reuben, the eldest brother, who
might have helped him, was not there, and the others he knew were
merciless.

The pit was reached, and in spite of his cries strong hands pushed him
forward and over the edge. Down, down he fell into the blackness,
until with a terrible thud he reached the bottom. There was no water
to break his fall, for the pit was dry.

Well--that was done! The cruel brothers went off to a little distance
and began to eat their midday meal. But scarcely had they begun when
they caught sight of a company of