188 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

him the town of Ziklag to live in. There David and
his men, with their wives and children, lived for a year
and four months.

Marianne. What happened to David in Ziklag ?

Grandfather. He collected his men and went against
the Amalekites, and some other people, inhabitants of
the land. He dsetroyed the whole of them, and took
away their cattle and all their moveable possessions.
When he returned to his abode in Gath, Achish asked
him where he had been fighting. David said what was
not true; for he told the king he had been fighting
against his own brethren.

Johnnie. Why did he say that ?

Grandfather. Because he knew it would please the
king ; but it was very wicked in David, and cannot be
excused. He was brave enough to face his enemies in
the field, but was too cowardly to tell the truth to
Achish. David suffered for this. There was war be-
tween the Philistines and the Israelites. Achish called
on David to join him. In obedience to this command he
and his men accompanied the king of Gath to the place
of meeting, at Aphek. The lords of the Philistines were
there. When they saw the son of Jesse and his men,
they said, “ What do these Hebrews here?” Achish
explained that this was David, the servant of Saul, who
had been with him for so long, and that all the time
he had been with him he had seen no cause for finding
fault with anything he had done. “ Make this fellow
return,” said the lords of the Philistines, for they feared