272 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

thing be.” “Behold,” replied the prophet, “ thou shalt
see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” That
night the Lord sent terror into the host of the Syrians ;
he caused them to hear a noise of horses and chariots,
like the approach of a great army. They concluded
that the king of Israel had hired against them the kings
of the Hittites and of Egypt.

George. That was not a very likely thing, when
Jehoram was so closely besieged in his own capital.

Grandfather. It was not at all a likely thing ; but the
wisest of men tells us, that “ the wicked fleeth when no
man pursueth,” and so it was here. The Syrians rose
_and fled, leaving tents, horses, and everything.

Johnnie. Did the Israelites see them running away ?

Grandfather. They did not, for their flight was in
the dark. At the gate of Samaria sat four leprous men.
“Why sit we here, until we die,” they said; “if we
will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city,
and we shall die there, and if we sit still here we die
also.” They agreed to try the Syrians: it was pos-
sible they might save them alive, and it was their only
chance of life. When these lepers entered the Syrian
camp, they went into a tent: No one was there, but
food and drink, silver and gold, and fine raiment in
plenty. They satisfied their hunger, and carried away
and hid what seemed to them valuable. They entered
another tent and did the same. Then their consciences
smote them for keeping all the good things to them-
selves. “If we tarry till the morning light,” they said,