earful of the enterprise, but when
Abiathar decided in favour of it, David's band at once marched over the
highlands of Judah, and surprised and defeated the Philistines with
great loss, and took much booty. David even established himself in the
town, but when Saul discovered that fact, he called out all the forces
of Israel, and prepared to besiege David, full of fiendish joy that the
prey he had so long sought was in his hands at last, for the capture of
four hundred men in a fortress however strong, could only be for his
large army, a question of time. All this became known to David, who was
warned by Abiathar that the inhabitants of Keilah would be compelled
for their own safety to give him up to Saul, and his four hundred men
only saved themselves by a hasty flight breaking up into detachments,
and fleeing wherever they could go, while David with only a handful of
his army, made his way once again into the hospitable wilderness which
stretches from the hills of Judah to the shores of the Dead Sea, and
there he hid in secret places among the crags and tangled brush, while
with fiendish perseverance, Saul sought him every day. But every day
God saved him from capture, yet as the days passed he became weary and
discouraged in heart. Then in a lonely hour there came a rare joy to
David--Jonathan, his friend, stood beside him with outstretched hands
and beaming eyes, joy expressed on every line of his sensitive,
delicate face.

David has no words ready for such a joyous moment--he is no longer the
brave warrior--leader of men. He throws his arms about Jonathan's neck,
and tears come,--yes, tears,--and Jonathan too, is unnerved, but there
is no time to lose, they may be discovered any moment and that will
mean death for at least one of them. Jonathan is the first to speak,
clasping David's hand closely.

"Fear not," he says in a clear, calm voice, "the hand of Saul, my
father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be King over Israel, and I
shall be next unto thee, and that also my father knoweth."

So spoke Jonathan, and the words came from his heart, for knowing as he
did of all the courageous acts of David, and of all the diplomacy he
had used to help others as well as himself, Jonathan's heart told him
that his friend was truly worthy to be King of Israel rather than he,
the rightful heir to the throne, and with deepest love and admiration
in his eyes and voice, and at peril of his life, should he be found
with Davi