daylight in the mysterious depths of the abyss.

The Hebrew tribes rushed through this miraculous issue, forming a human
torrent that flowed between two steep banks of green waters. An
innumerable race marked with two millions of black dots the livid bottom
of the gulf, and impressed its feet upon mud which the belly of the
leviathans alone had rayed; and the terrible wind still blew, passing
over the heads of the Hebrews, whom it would have thrown to the ground
like grain, and keeping back by its breath the heap of roaring waters.

It was the breath of the Lord which was dividing the sea.

Terrified at the wonder, the Egyptians hesitated to pursue the Hebrews,
but the Pharaoh, with that high courage which nothing could daunt, urged
on his horses, which reared and plunged, lashing them in turn with his
terrible thonged whip, his eyes bloodshot, foaming at the lips, and
roaring like a lion whose prey is escaping. He at last compelled them to
enter that strangely opened road. The six hundred cars followed. The
Israelites of the rear guard, among whom were Poeri, Ra'hel, and Thamar,
believed themselves lost when they saw the enemy taking the same road
that they had traversed. But when the Egyptians were fairly within the
gulf, Mosche made a sign, the wheels of the cars fell off, and there was
a horrible confusion of horses and warriors falling against each other.
Then the mountains of water, miraculously sustained, suddenly fell, and
the sea closed in, whirling in its foam men and animals and chariots
like straw caught by the eddies in the current of a river.

Alone the Pharaoh, standing within his chariot, which had come to the
surface, shot, drunk with pride and anger, the last arrows of his quiver
against the Hebrews, who were now reaching the other shore. Having
exhausted his arrows, he took up his javelin, and although already
nearly half engulfed, with his arm alone above the water, he hurled it,
a powerless weapon, against the unknown God whom he still braved from
the depths of the abyss. A mighty billow, which rolled two or three
times over the edge of the sea, engulfed the last remains.

Nothing was left of the glory and of the army of the Pharaoh.

On the other bank Miriam, the sister of Aharon, exulted and sang as she
played on the timbrel, and all the women of Israel beat time upon
onager-skins. Two millions of voices were singing the hymn of
deliverance.

XVIII

Tahoser in vain awaited Pharaoh