se shield the Most
High chose him. So I, a feeble woman, yet the servant of the Most High
and the maiden who was dearer to you than life, cry in tones of warning:
Fear your father's curse and the punishment of the Lord! Beware of
tempting the people."

Here she was interrupted by a female slave, who summoned her to her
house--and she added in low, hurried accents: "Only this one thing more.
If you do not desire to be weaker than the woman whose opposition
roused your wrath, sacrifice your own wishes for the welfare of yonder
thousands, who are of the same blood! With your hand on these stones you
must swear...."

But here her voice failed. Her hands groped vainly for some support, and
with a loud cry she sank on her knees beside Hur's token.

Joshua's strong arms saved her from falling prostrate, and several women
who hurried up at his shout soon recalled the fainting maiden to life.

Her eyes wandered restlessly from one to another, and not until her
glance rested on Joshua's anxious face did she become conscious where
she was and what she had done. Then she hurriedly drank the water a
shepherd's wife handed to her, wiped the tears from her eyes, sighed
painfully, and with a faint smile whispered to Joshua: "I am but a weak
woman after all."

Then she walked toward the house, but after the first few steps turned,
beckoned to the warrior, and said softly:

"You see how they are forming into ranks. They will soon begin to move.
Is your resolution still unshaken? There is still time to call the
elders."

He shook his head, and as he met her tearful, grateful glance, answered
gently:

"I shall remember these stones and this hour, wife of Hur. Greet my
father for me and tell him that I love him. Repeat to him also the
name by which his son, according to the command of the Most High, will
henceforth be called, that its promise of Jehovah's aid may give him
confidence when he hears whither I am going to keep the oath I have
sworn."

With these words he waved his hand to Miriam and turned toward the camp,
where his horse had been fed and watered; but she called after him:
"Only one last word: Moses left a message for you in the hollow trunk of
the tree."

Joshua turned back to the sycamore and read what the man of God had
written for him. "Be strong and steadfast" were the brief contents,
and raising his head he joyfully exclaimed: "Those words are balm to my
soul. We meet here for the last time, wife of Hur, and