THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL. 105

the stones had been erected in memory of the miraculous
passage of the Jordan. It is thought that images were
put there by the Moabites, either placed upon, or made of
those very stones, and that the sight of the images fired
with new energy the pious zeal of Ehud. He told his fel-
low travellers to proceed on their journey, while he himself
returned to the palace of Eglon. There he announced
that he had a secret errand to the king. He was
ushered into the king’s private apartment, a cool plea-
sant room, called a summer parlour. All the attendants
retired, and the Moabite and Benjamite were alone.
The son of Israel announced a message from God. The
heathen monarch rose to receive it. For one instant
Ehud’s dagger gleamed in his hand, the next instant the
oppressor of the Israelites had received his death wound.
Silently Eglon fell, and swiftly Ehud withdrew. The
doors of the summer parlour he locked behind him, and
if he required to pass through any guards on his way,
he feared nothing, and they suspected nothing. The
servants of Eglon seeing the doors of the parlour locked,
supposed that the king wished to rest, so they did not
open the door for some time. When they did, and saw
what had been done, Ehud was too far off for them to
expect to overtake him. Meantime the bold Benjamite
sounded a trumpet, to rally round him the oppressed
Israelites. They secured the fords of the Jordan, so that
none of the Moabites could escape. They all fell by
the swords of the children of Israel. The Moabites
had left their own country and crossed the Jordan to