y come to the pen-door
till folding be done.
They are white and untorn by the bushes,
for lo, they have fed
Where the long grasses stifle the water
within the stream's bed;
And now one after one seeks its lodging,
as star follows star
Into eve and the blue far above us,
--so blue and so far!"

But in spite of David's playing the king's health grew worse. He
became very jealous of David. David was young and strong and handsome,
and a favorite with everyone. Saul at last came to hate him. Once he
threw his spear at David, but missed his aim and David escaped. David
was afraid that the king would kill him, so he gathered a few bold men
about him, and became an outlaw. Day after day Saul and his soldiers
pursued David but he always managed to escape, hiding in caves by day
and marching by night.

{153}{154}

[Illustration]
THE CONVENT OF MAR-SARBA IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.

It was in this wild and desolate country on the eastern edge of
Palestine that David hid in caves and ravines when pursued by his
enemy, King Saul.
[End illustration]

{155}

More than once David had Saul in his power and might have put him to
death, but he was too brave and generous to take advantage of his
weakness, and besides he felt that it was wrong to harm the nation's
king. One night Saul and his soldiers had encamped near the place
where David and his men were hiding. The night was dark. All the
sentries were asleep. Quietly, David and one of his men stole into the
camp, and came to the spot where Saul lay asleep with his spear stuck
in the ground beside his head. The soldier wanted David to kill his
enemy, but he would not do it. He took Saul's spear and the water skin
which was beside him and crept safely past the sentries and out of the
camp again.

When he had gone to a safe distance, he stood on a hill and shouted
and awakened the men in the camp, and told them to look for the spear
and the water skin. So they knew that David had truly been in the camp
and had spared the king's life.

{156}

DAVID AND JONATHAN

While David was living at the king's court his dearest friend was
Jonathan, Saul's son. These two young men loved each other as soon as
they met, which was after David had killed the giant. They went
everywhere together. They hunted and played their games together. Th