GIDEON. 125

middle watch—that was the second watch, which began at
ten—Gideon and his small army arrived at the outside of
the camp. They had arrived there in silence, but not in
silence did they remain. Each man blew his trumpet,
broke his earthen pitcher with a loud crash, held up his
lamp that the glare of light might startle the foe, and
shouted loudly “ The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.”
Gideon had seen that his name had already struck terror
into the Midianite soldiers; for this reason he caused his
men to introduce it along with the great name of Jehovah,
without whose aid he felt himself to be nothing. Fear
seized on the children of the east ; throughout that great
army not one had presence of mind to think ; every man
turned his sword against his own countrymen. Gideon
and his little band did not strike a blow, yet thousands
of their enemies were slain: those who remained alive
fled.

Johnnie. What made them so frightened, grand-
father.

Grandfather. It was the Lord who sent terror into
their hearts, and the means it pleased him to make use
of were the pitchers, the lamps, and the trumpets of the
three hundred men. Then those of Gideon’s soldiers
who had been dismissed gathered together to pursue the
host of Midian. The victory which had been won gave
boldness to those who had been timid before. Gideon
Sent messengers to the Ephraimites, telling them to seize
the fords of Jordan, that the ememy might not be able
to cross over. The men of Ephraim did so, and took