slaughtered.

Several days had been spent in detaining them; but when other messengers
brought tidings that Pharaoh was approaching with a powerful army the
time seemed to have come when the wanderers, in the utmost peril, might
be forced to break through the forts, and Moses exerted the full might
of his commanding personality, Aaron the whole power of his seductive
eloquence, while old Nun and Hur essayed to kindle the others with their
own bold spirit.

But the terrible news had robbed the majority of the last vestige of
self reliance and trust in God, and they had already resolved to assure
Pharaoh of their repentance when the messengers whom, without their
leader's knowledge, they had sent forth, returned, announcing that the
approaching army had been commanded to spare no Hebrew, and to show
by the sharp edge of the sword, even to those who sued for mercy, how
Pharaoh punished the men by whose shameful sorcery misery and woe had
come upon so many Egyptians.

Then, too late, they became aware that to return would ensure more
speedy destruction than to boldly press forward. But when the men
capable of bearing arms followed Hur and Nun to the Migdol of the South,
they turned to fly at the defiant blare of the Egyptian war trumpets.
When they came back to the camp with weary limbs, depressed and
disheartened, new and exaggerated reports of Pharaoh's military force
had reached the people, and now terror and despair had taken possession
of the bolder men. Every admonition was vain, every threat derided, and
the rebellious people had forced their leaders to go with them till,
after a short march, they reached the Red Sea, whose deep green waves
had forced them to pause in their southward flight.

So they had encamped between Pihahiroth and Baal-zephon, and here the
leaders again succeeded in turning the attention of the despairing
people to the God of their fathers.

In the presence of sure destruction, from which no human power could
save them, they had again learned to raise their eyes to Heaven; but
Moses' soul had once more been thrilled with anxiety and compassion for
the poor, sorely afflicted bands who had followed his summons.
During the night preceding, he had climbed one of the lower peaks of
Baal-zephon and, amid the raging of the tempest and the roar of the
hissing surges, sought the Lord his God, and felt his presence near him.
He, too, had not wearied of pleading the need of his people and adjuring
hi