d shoot
on this side of David's hiding-place, it would mean that David could
come out in peace and safety, but if the arrows were shot beyond the
place where David was, it would be a sign that he must again flee, for
his life would be in danger if he remained.

And so David hid himself in the field and Jonathan went to the feast,
as they had planned that he should do, and at first Saul did not notice
David's absence, then presently, he asked Jonathan where David was, and
Jonathan answered as David had told him to, that David had gone to
Bethlehem to attend a family festival there. Then Saul was very angry
at both David and Jonathan, and exclaimed:

"Thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion. Surely as
long as he liveth, thou shalt not be established in the kingdom.
Wherefore, now send for him that he may die."

Although Jonathan was perfectly conscious of his father's bribe of the
kingdom should he bring David to be killed, and of the cleverness of
Saul's appeal to his desire for power, he had no thought for himself,
but only anger that his father could be so hard at heart. But he
controlled his temper and merely said:

"Wherefore shall he be slain? What hath he done?"

At this Saul's fury knew no bounds; that he, King of Israel should lose
not only his sovereignty, but the loyalty of his own son, because of
this lad of Bethlehem, was more than he could bear. With the rage of a
frenzied animal, Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him, but as
David had done, Jonathan dodged the deadly weapon, and left the feast,
refusing to sit any longer at the table with a father who was so cruel
and capricious.

And as soon as possible, Jonathan hastened to David's hiding-place,
taking with him his bow and arrows, and a lad to fetch his arrows for
him.

And he said to the lad:

"Run, find out the arrows which I shoot!----" and as the lad ran, he
shot an arrow beyond him.

And when the lad found the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried
after him:

"Is not that the arrow behind thee? Make speed--haste--stay not."

And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and brought them to his
master, and he knew nothing about the meaning of that which he had
done. Only Jonathan and David knew that, and then because he was eager
to be alone with David, Jonathan gave the lad his bow and arrows and
bade him take them to the city.

As soon as the lad was out of sight and hearing, David who had heard
all that