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 LIBRARY 
 
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 THE LIBRARY 
 
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 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 

THE 
 
 LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; 
 
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 THE SUBLIMEST WORK OF OUR CREATOR 
 IS THE GLORIOUS RACE OF MAN." 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 1861. 
 
L 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by 
 CHARLES EVEN, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the 
 Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 
 
 STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 LIPPINCOTT & CO., PRINTERS. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 IT is a well-known fact that, when Christopher Colum 
 bus first set foot on America's soil, he found it already 
 tenanted by a people which, though differing from his 
 own race in customs and color, were as perfect speci 
 mens of humanity as himself and followers. 
 
 Only intent upon new discoveries, and animated but 
 by the desire of subjugating whatever new countries he 
 might find to the crown of Spain, the great explorer 
 regarded this new and strange people merely in so far as 
 they might be used in furthering his own plans, trou 
 bling himself little about their rights or origin. 
 
 The extreme darkness in which the earlier history 
 of our Eed neighbors is involved, renders it next to 
 impossible to penetrate the veil which enshrouds their 
 origin ; while it is almost needless to say that all that 
 has been said or written about this certainly interesting 
 subject is based only on conjecture and fiction. Yet, 
 notwithstanding all this, it is almost certain that the 
 history of the earlier inhabitants of this country con 
 cerns us much more than hitherto we may have supposed, 
 for, unless we regard that Book of books, the Holy 
 Bible, as a mere work of romance and fiction, it is 
 
4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 not to be disputed that the first and only human beings 
 ever created by the Almighty without the agency of 
 man, were Adam and Eve, from whom all mankind 
 are descended, and, allowing this to be a fixed fact, our 
 aborigines must have sprung from the same parent 
 root with ourselves. 
 
 If we follow the Holy Scriptures, we see the gradual 
 development of the human race until we come down to 
 the period of the patriarch Noah. We all have read of 
 the deluge, and we have seen that all mankind were 
 destroyed, with the exception of Noah and his family. 
 How these latter were saved, we all know; but is it not 
 wonderful that a man who never before even dreamed 
 of a ship, or of the possibility of crossing a large expanse 
 of water, should all at once have become possessed of 
 the idea of building the Ark ? It most undoubtedly is, 
 and the only way in which we can possibly account for 
 it, is that of the Bible : it was brought about by divine 
 inspiration, and under the special direction of Jehovah. 
 Here then we have a striking instance, that even in 
 the oldest times, when science was in its infancy, God 
 sometimes, in a single lesson, would teach and reveal to 
 his creatures things which at a later period it took 
 years and all the patience and ingenuity of man to 
 accomplish; and in perusing the history of the Israel 
 ites, the chosen people of Jehovah, we find that similar 
 revelations have been very frequent. 
 
 When the ten tribes of Israel seceded from the tribe 
 of Judah, the favors of the Lord were equally divided 
 
INTRODUCTION. 5 
 
 between the two nations, both of whom either pros 
 pered or were punished according to their deeds; and 
 the Bible continues to speak of either as the chosen 
 people up to the period of the Assyrian captivity, when 
 the record of the Israelites abruptly closes. Some time 
 after the destruction of Samaria, the kings and the 
 people of Judah adopted the same evil course, followed 
 by the Israelites; and they in turn were given into the 
 hands of their enemy Nebuchadnezzar, who carried 
 them captive to Babylon. But after a season of suffer- 
 ing, and when, it seems, they began to repent of their 
 evil doings, the children of Judah were liberated and 
 permitted to go home and to rebuild their destroyed 
 cities, whereas of the ten tribes of Israel it is written, 
 They were carried away out of their own land to 
 Assyria unto this day. And now the question arises, 
 Were the Israelites so utterly debased, so utterly aban 
 doned, as to be unable to return to the God of their 
 fathers ? I cannot and do not believe this ; for not un- 
 frequently we see that the greatest and most obstinate 
 sinners repent of their wickedness and are pardoned. 
 Why could not this have been the case with at least a 
 part of the once chosen people of the Lord? and why 
 should it be impossible that in the Bed men of our 
 forests we behold the descendants of the lost tribes of 
 Israel ? 
 
 The physical differences, particularly that of color, 
 between our Red neighbors and our own race it is not 
 
 very difficult to account for, if we take into consider- 
 
 i* 
 
6 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ation, firstly, That the sons of Jacob, in all probability, 
 were not so delicately organized, nor so white, as our 
 selves, but most likely were a medium between us and 
 our modern Indians; and, secondly, the many powerful 
 agencies at the command of nature. Sometimes these 
 agencies are perceptible, as, for instance, the difference 
 of climate; but oftener they are secret; and now and 
 then we see a person who has been rescued from the 
 very brink of the grave, whose appearance and color, 
 after such restoration, are so much changed that re 
 cognition becomes almost impossible. But let all this 
 be as it may, so much is certain, that our aborigines 
 belong to the one great family of man, and, if the Bible 
 is right, they must be descendants of Adam and Eve. 
 
 In the following pages I have followed the children 
 of Israel into their captivity, and, after a season of 
 almost unendurable hardships, I have seen them brought 
 to a just sense of their situation. 
 
 I have shown how they repented of their former 
 sinful life, and how in consequence they were informed, 
 in a vision sent by Jehovah, of the only means by which 
 they might escape their cruel oppressors. 
 
 As the Ark had been the means of preserving Noah 
 and his family when all mankind were destroyed by the 
 deluge, so a ship or ark became the means by which the 
 Israelites were freed from their enemies. In a vessel 
 constructed after a model seen by one of their number 
 in a dream, the captives sailed down the river Tigris, 
 and, under the direction and guidance of divine Provi- 
 
INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 dence, they at last came to this country, where they 
 became the founders of the race of Eed Men. 
 
 I am not presumptuous enough to assert that my 
 book has been written by divine inspiration ; yet I may 
 be permitted to say that, as all our faculties and thoughts 
 belong to and come from our Creator, it may not be 
 regarded as presumption when I say that there is every 
 possibility of my being as near the truth as most writers 
 of ancient history. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA, February, 1861. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. PAGE 
 
 THE COT OF THE OLD ISRAELITE 11 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 STARTLING REVELATIONS 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE DREAM 39 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 HERMIONE 54 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 DETERMINATION 63 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 THE FLIGHT 73 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 THE DAT AFTER THE FLIGHT 98 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 DEPARTURE AND JOURNEY ,. 121 
 
10 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. PAGE 
 
 THE FIRST INHABITANTS or AMERICA 158 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 DEATH OF MORDECAI, AND SEPARATION 172 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 THE GHOSTS, AND THE SOLEMN WARNING 186 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 THE EARTHQUAKE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 230 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 OMAR AND HIS FRIENDS 285 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 CHOW-WAUK-HEE, THE FIRST or THE RED MEN 305 
 
THE 
 
 LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE COT OF THE OLD ISKAELITE. 
 
 IT was about six years after the destruction 
 of Samaria, that, on a dark and stormy night of 
 the latter part of the month of April, there 
 were assembled, in a small building near the 
 ancient city of Nineveh, three men, whose un 
 mistakable types proclaimed them children of 
 subjugated and captive Israel. 
 
 The house, a dilapidated one-story frame struc 
 ture, situated in the midst of a well-cultivated 
 and extensive garden, was inhabited by Mor- 
 decai, an old Jew with bald head and long, 
 flowing beard of snowy whiteness, whose skill 
 L. the art of horticulture had secured for him 
 this tenement at a reasonable rent, payable in 
 flowers, fruit and vegetables, and where he 
 
 11 
 
 
12 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 managed to lead a comparatively free and com 
 fortable life. 
 
 His only assistant and companion, a handsome 
 youth of eighteen years of age, in whose veins 
 coursed the royal blood of Jehu, and who called 
 old Mordecai "uncle," might have been seen, 
 about two hours before the opening of my story, 
 disguised as a beggar, and his face concealed by 
 a slouched hat, wending his way through several 
 dark and narrow streets of Nineveh, until he 
 came to a small but strongly-fastened door in 
 the rear of a magnificent palatial mansion front 
 ing the principal street of the city. 
 
 Arrived here, he sought the shelter of some 
 overhanging trees, and, putting both hands to 
 his mouth, imitated the shrill cry of an owl; 
 then, after slowly and deliberately counting one 
 hundred, he repeated the cry, and, throwing 
 himself flat on the ground, patiently waited. 
 
 At that instant footsteps were heard ap 
 proaching his place of concealment, and, by the 
 light of a shaded lantern, he recognised one of 
 the guardians of the night, who since the ar 
 rival of the captive Israelites patrolled the small 
 streets and alleys of the town after a certain 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 13 
 
 hour, and who generally were armed to the 
 teeth, so as to be ready for any emergency. 
 Lamech for that was the youth's name noise 
 lessly glided into the deep shadow of a large 
 wood-pile, and presently saw the man passing, 
 cursing and swearing at the inclement weather 
 and the uselessness of his toilsome task. 
 
 "Curses on these Jewish dogs!" Lamech heard 
 him mutter: "curses on them, for a rascally, 
 thieving set! Were it not for them, I now 
 might snugly and comfortably sit by my own 
 fireside, listening to the sweet voice of my 
 dear Mulina. Ha ! should I once be fortunate 
 enough to find one of this detested race where I 
 could lay my hands on him ! But, by the beard 
 of Shalmanezer, I believe it best for me to go 
 to my home ; for in a night like this no cowardly 
 son of Israel will dare to cross his threshold. 
 My watch is not to be ended before the breaking 
 of another day; and then I shall be at my post 
 again. So farewell storm and tempest, and wel 
 come my own bright home !" 
 
 With this that trusty guardsman kept on his 
 solitary walk; and soon the sound of his receding 
 footsteps died away in the distance. Lamech 
 
14 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 then came forth out of his place of shelter, and, 
 again approaching the small door, uttered the 
 sharp cry of a dog three times in rapid suc 
 cession. 
 
 This time his patience was rewarded ; for 
 scarcely had the last note of his voice died on 
 the air, when the startled cry of a frightened 
 cat fell on his ear, at almost the same time a 
 key was inserted in the afore-mentioned door, 
 and a moment later Lamech found himself face 
 to face with a swarthy man, apparently about 
 forty years of age. 
 
 The new-comer, whose sinewy and well-knit 
 frame might have been envied by a Hercules, 
 was one of those rarely-seen men whose whole 
 appearance inspires respect and confidence. His 
 open countenance and noble, lofty brow spoke 
 of goodness of heart, while his finely-cut but 
 firmly-set mouth denoted a firmness of character 
 and a strength of determination which were not 
 to be shaken. 
 
 The first greetings over, and after a brief 
 consultation, Harim, (such was the stranger's 
 name,) who served as head steward in the king's 
 own household, followed Lamech up several 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 15 
 
 other small streets, until they arrived at another 
 small private door, which led to the mansion 
 of the king's prime minister, Almanzor. Here 
 they again succeeded, by means of the same 
 signals used by Lamech at the king's gate, in 
 quickly bringing out Nahum, the head groom 
 of Almanzor. 
 
 Another brief consultation ensued, after which 
 the trio, now hurrying on fearlessly, took their 
 way straight to the eastern gate. 
 
 Suddenly the startling "Who's there?" of a 
 night-patrol brought them to a stand, and the 
 leader of the guard, whose weather-beaten and 
 sunburnt face bespoke the soldier of many bat 
 tles, confronted them, and would, without further 
 ceremony, have consigned them to the custody 
 of his followers, had not Harim uttered a com 
 manding " Halt !" Then, thrusting his hand in 
 his bosom, he produced a roll of parchment 
 covered with curiously-shaped characters, and 
 to the bottom of which was affixed the royal 
 seal. At seeing this, the soldier bowed deeply, 
 and, in an attitude of profound respect, offered 
 to our wanderers the services of himself and 
 followers. Harim, who knew what effect that 
 
16 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 parchment would produce, was still pleased 
 with this turn of affairs, and, requesting to be 
 led out of the gate, then bade the guard return 
 and resume their usual duties. 
 
 As the reader may, most naturally, wonder 
 how a simple roll of parchment could produce 
 such an effect on a personage of so much import 
 ance as the leader of a nigh1>guard, I hasten 
 to inform him that in those days of warfare, 
 when the strictest watch was kept both by day 
 and by night, there were some persons who, 
 through some means or other, were favored with 
 an unlimited passport, sealed with the king's 
 own private signet, and which authorized the 
 bearer to go, either single or accompanied by 
 one or two friends, wherever he pleased, at any 
 hour, night or day; and, as all persons so favored 
 were naturally supposed to be on the best terms 
 with the king, the attentions shown them by all 
 public officials were generally equal to those 
 shown to the ruler himself, as, moreover, it 
 would have been punishment, dishonor, and 
 even death to any one who should have dared 
 to question or disregard the royal will. 
 
 Now, Harim had some time previous succeeded 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 17 
 
 in rendering the king a signal service in ferret 
 ing out and disclosing a conspiracy to assassinate 
 the monarch by two of his chamberlains. The 
 conspirators were secretly executed; and Harim 
 was favored with an unlimited passport, at his 
 own request, this seeming to him the most useful 
 and consequently the most valuable reward, as 
 the Israelites in particular were subjected to the 
 closest and not unfrequently most painful sur 
 veillance. 
 
 Safely out of the gate, our three friends hur 
 ried to old Mordecai's dwelling, where, on giving 
 a peculiar signal, the two strangers were in 
 stantly admitted, while Lamech remained out 
 side, and stationed himself in such a position 
 as to guard most effectually the only approach 
 to the house. 
 
 After being warmly welcomed by old Mor- 
 decai, Harim and Nahum were invited into an 
 inner room, which was furnished in the simplest 
 manner, and where the reader first made their 
 acquaintance. 
 
 Nahum was a man about thirty-five years 
 of age, of medium size, rather slender; but an 
 attentive observer might have detected an un- 
 
 B 2* 
 
18 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 common strength of muscle. His noble fore 
 head, finely-arched brows, overshadowing a pair 
 of eyes fiery, and black as the raven's wing, a 
 Roman nose, a mouth almost feminine in its 
 exquisite cut, and a well-rounded chin, would 
 have rendered him a fit model for the painter 
 and sculptor as the personification of manly 
 beauty. His hair and beard, both well culti 
 vated after the fashion of his countrymen, were 
 of the same color as the eyes ; and, while his 
 frank and open countenance spoke of goodness 
 of heart, the determined curve of his upper lip 
 denoted undaunted firmness and inflexibility of 
 purpose. 
 
 He was the elder brother of Lamech, and per 
 haps would even now have sat on the throne 
 of his fathers, had Israel not lost her indepen 
 dence. 
 
 Mordecai was an old man of threescore and 
 ten, and apparently had been very strong and 
 decidedly handsome in glorious youth ; but now 
 he was a mere wreck. Care and sorrow had bent 
 that once powerful frame, the sight of his dark 
 eyes was dimmed, and his once glossy black hair 
 was now shaved off by the hand of Time, while 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 19 
 
 his still long and flowing beard, once of the same 
 color with his hair, had assumed the color of 
 fresh-fallen snow. 
 
 Harim is already sufficiently introduced to 
 the reader, so as to make it only necessary here 
 to say that he too was a descendant of the royal 
 house of Jehu. 
 
 "Children," commenced old Mordecai, in a 
 low and sorrowful voice, after all three had been 
 seated, '"I have once more called you to my 
 humble abode, that I might speak to you of the 
 trials and hopes of our unfortunate brethren. 
 
 "To us they look for consolation ; in us all 
 their hopes and trust are centred. You, my 
 noble nephews, have already done much to 
 lighten our burdens, to kindle anew the hopes 
 of our desponding countrymen. By your per 
 severance and unflinching attention to your hard 
 duties you have succeeded in gaining the esteem 
 and the confidence of the two most powerful men 
 of this heathen nation. Thanks to you, the 
 severest trials of captive Israel have -passed, the 
 terrible persecution has ceased. But when will 
 captive Israel be free ? When will we be allowed 
 to pray to Jehovah, after the manner of our 
 
20 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 fathers, publicly, openly, without fear of molest 
 ation, ay, of even death ? 
 
 " Shalmanezer and his prime minister are the 
 two most powerful men of this nation, it is true ; 
 and equally true it is that through you we may 
 call them our friends; but they dare not openly 
 act against the will of the combined masses, and 
 these, alas ! are against us. When, oh, when will 
 the hour of Israel's freedom strike ?" 
 
 Here the old man ceased: overcome by his 
 sorrow and bowed down by grief, he sank back 
 in utter exhaustion. 
 
 A silence of about five minutes' duration en 
 sued, after which Nahum arose and advanced 
 to his aged relative, whose hands he took and 
 carried affectionately to his lips. 
 
 " Uncle," he said, in a clear, melodious, and 
 manly voice, "uncle, nay, more than that, 
 father, let not your sorrows affect you thus. 
 Are not, as you said yourself just now, our 
 severest trials passed ? Are not we yet strong 
 and healthy? Is not the whole universe a 
 Canaan to those who but have the will to make 
 it so? And, above all, have we not our re 
 spected, wise, and good old uncle Mordecai still 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 21 
 
 among us ? Who has ever done more to raise 
 the drooping spirits of a nation than you, my 
 father ? You have given a new impulse to our 
 hopes. When, three vears ago, you, disguised 
 as an outcast and a beggar bereft of reason, 
 traversed this country, regardless of death and 
 dangers that beset you on every side, to console 
 our despairing brethren and to devise means for 
 lightening their heavy burdens, we trembled, 
 and on our bended knees we besought Jehovah 
 to watch over you and lead you safely back. 
 Thanks to God, you did return; ay, and you 
 succeeded in your noble mission. 
 
 " Two hundred strong and able men of Israel, 
 with their families, are at this moment assembled 
 in subterranean chambers, constructed under 
 almost insurmountable difficulties and with al 
 most superhuman efforts, beneath our feet. 
 
 " Thanks to your good management, all these 
 people are sufficiently provided with every thing 
 needful; and, although we do not know how 
 you contrived to construct these subterranean 
 vaults, or to bring so many human beings safely, 
 and in spite of all the watchfulness of our ene 
 mies, to your so greatly exposed cot, nor what 
 
22 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 your final purpose may be, still we know that 
 the latter cannot but be for the good of Israel ; 
 and we here once more repeat the assurance 
 that we shall be with you even unto death." 
 
 " Ay, unto death !" repeated Harim. 
 
 " What we may have done," resumed Nahum, 
 " to gain the good will of our masters, was done 
 by your advice ; and happy are we if this will 
 add to the interest of our unhappy countrymen. 
 
 "But, ha! what is that?" 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 23 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 STARTLING REVELATIONS. 
 
 THE shrill cry of an owl was heard three times 
 in rapid succession ; and at the same time some 
 one stealthily entered the outer room of the cot. 
 
 With an agility marvellous in one so old, 
 the aged Mordecai jumped off his seat, and, 
 hurrying to a corner of the room, he lifted a 
 secret trap-door. Nahum and Harim fortunately 
 understood the old man at once, and, without 
 waiting for an explanation, disappeared through 
 the aperture ; whereupon Mordecai replaced the 
 door, and, as if nothing had happened, quietly sat 
 down and resumed the reading of an old manu 
 script, from time to time examining some rare 
 plants placed in an earthen vase on a rude deal 
 table before him, an occupation in which he had 
 been interrupted by the entrance of his nephews. 
 Presently a knock was heard on the outer door of 
 the cot, and, before it could be repeated, a sleepy 
 " Who's there ?" uttered by Lamech, greeted the 
 
24 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 intruder. A hurried consultation between uncle 
 and nephew followed, whereupon the door was 
 opened, and the leader of the guard, who had led 
 Harim and his followers out of the city-gate, 
 entered, followed by three of his men. .The 
 glimmer of a light which was to be seen through 
 the chinks of the inner door at once guided the 
 visitor to the inner room, where he found the old 
 man engaged with his plants and manuscript. 
 
 " Rather late for work," was the soldier's 
 greeting. 
 
 "Better late than never," was the calm re 
 sponse. 
 
 " But," resumed our hero of many battles, " it 
 seems somewhat unusual to find a man of your 
 age working at a time when everybody else is 
 courting sleep." 
 
 " It would not seem so to thee, if thou oftener 
 didst leave the city-limits at this time of night. 
 Old Mordecai's time is too precious to be thrown 
 away by much repose, or by much interruption, 
 either : so oblige me by stating to what I am 
 indebted for this untimely visit, as I am just 
 now engaged with some rare plants, to be intro 
 duced in our gracious king's private garden." 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 25 
 
 For a moment the soldier was taken aback by 
 this coolness; but soon, collecting himself, he 
 said, in a tone of severity, "The two Jews, 
 Harim, the king's head steward, and Nahum, 
 the prime minister's head groom, were seen about 
 an hour ago to leave the city, in company with 
 a lame beggar ; and, as there is a strong suspicion 
 of their being involved in a conspiracy to free 
 their fellow- Jews at any cost, even by assassin 
 ating our most gracious sovereign and his min 
 isters, which was revealed to Shalmanezer not 
 half an hour ago, I just now received a royal 
 order not to allow any one to leave the city. 
 Now, the two very men thus suspected actually 
 did pass the gate; which fact most naturally led 
 us to the belief, ay, conviction, that the story of 
 their being really involved is true ; and, as you 
 are known to be their friend, I have come to the 
 conclusion that they must have come hither to 
 ask, if not your co-operation, at least your 
 counsel; and, unless therefore you are able to 
 give the most reliable proof to the contrary, I 
 shall be under the necessity of taking you with 
 me ? together with your assistant, whom I strongly 
 
26 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 suspect to be more closely acquainted with the 
 lame beggar than he may wish me to know." 
 
 Here was a sad predicament for old Mordecai. 
 How could he prove to the soldier's satisfaction 
 that the men named had not called upon him ? 
 and, furthermore, was there not every reason to 
 suppose that Lamech had been recognized in 
 spite of his disguise ? To be taken by the guard 
 would have been certain destruction, not only 
 to them, but to all their friends ; for, suspicion 
 once thrown into that channel, it was not at all 
 unlikely that the habitation of Mordecai would 
 soon be levelled to the ground in quest of the 
 fugitives, and then the entrance to the subter 
 ranean chambers would surely not escape de 
 tection, thereby frustrating their last hopes and 
 rendering worse than vain the labor of years. 
 
 All this at once flashed upon the mind of the 
 old man ; and, although usually calm and brave, 
 he was for the moment confounded. But soon 
 he rallied, and, throwing himself, utter despair 
 depicted in his countenance, at the captain's 
 feet, he confessed all, and, imploring the soldier's 
 mercy for himself and Lamech, he promised to 
 show the retreat of his nephews. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 27 
 
 It was a bold game the old Jew played ; but 
 here was an emergency, and all must be risked, 
 or all would be lost. 
 
 Lamech was thunder-struck. Would he, the 
 brave, the good Mordecai, really betray his 
 friends ? It passed all comprehension. 
 
 But this terrible doubt was to last only one 
 moment; for, an instant after, on raising his 
 eyes, he met the glance of the old gardener, a 
 glance so full of meaning, so full of confidence, 
 that all his misgivings fled at once; and, 
 uniting his lamentations and implorings for 
 mercy with those of his uncle, they both suc 
 ceeded in making the guardsman believe in their 
 sincerity to such an extent that the leader kindly 
 promised them all the assistance in his power if 
 he should only find those he was after. 
 
 On the trap-door being raised a second time, 
 the captain of the guard, whose name was 
 Bareck, rushed past the old man, followed by all 
 his men ; and such were their impetuosity and 
 haste to capture the two most hated of all the 
 Israelites, who had succeeded in obtaining the 
 most responsible as well as the most confidential 
 situations in the households of the two most 
 
28 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 powerful men in all Assyria, under circum 
 stances which, to say the least, looked suspicious 
 enough to hurl them from their high positions, 
 that fortunately for Mordecai and his friends 
 they never thought of securing a safe retreat ; 
 nor did they heed a shrill whistle sounded by 
 Lamech, who followed on their heels. 
 
 Arrived at a point where the light from 
 above failed to penetrate, Bareck found himself 
 and followers enveloped in utter darkness. At 
 the same time the trap-door again creaked in its 
 hinges and, with a dull sound, fell back in its 
 place, thus burying the four guardsmen in the 
 bowels of the earth. Presently the faint glim 
 mer of a light appeared in the distance, and, with 
 an ejaculation of wild joy, the captain bounded 
 forward; for he had recognized the person of our 
 friend Harim; and, brandishing his cutlass, he 
 ordered his followers to secure the Jewish dogs 
 at once. 
 
 But his joy and exultation were destined to 
 be of 'short duration; for, on nearing the place 
 where Harim stood, torch in hand, he beheld 
 Nahum, armed with sword and shield, at the 
 head of a company of armed men, while at his 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 29 
 
 back the frightened cries of his followers told 
 him that they were overthrown and now being 
 secured by another party. 
 
 The bravado of the soldier at once took to 
 its heels ; and, sinking on his knees, he in turn 
 now implored the mercy of old Mordecai, who 
 had just joined his friends. 
 
 In a few words the old man informed his 
 nephews how matters stood, and why he had 
 thought it best to pursue the course he had 
 taken, when Nahum, who had been an attentive 
 listener, after commending what his uncle had 
 done, confronted the prostrate Bareck, and, with 
 the air of a ruler, commanded him to arise. 
 
 Trembling in all his limbs, the captain arose 
 and stood before the royal Nahum, as stands the 
 wretched criminal before his stern judge, await 
 ing his last earthly sentence. 
 
 " Who sent you Either ?" Nahum asked, in a 
 deep, solemn tone. 
 
 No answer. 
 
 "Were you sent?" 
 
 Still no answer. 
 
 " I know you," Nahum continued. " I know 
 that you were not sent. As true as my God 
 
 3* 
 
30 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 lives, we never were engaged in any conspiracy 
 whatever, least of all against the lives of our 
 masters; and our masters know it. They did 
 not send you. But we have enemies, cruel, un 
 relenting enemies, who will not hesitate at any 
 thing to destroy us. You are one of those. You 
 are the kinsman of Amalech, the arch-traitor, 
 who would have imbrued his hands in the blood 
 of his sovereign but for my friend Harim, who, 
 happily, discovered and frustrated the hellish 
 design. Twice have you sued for the position 
 in Almanzor's household which I occupy, and 
 twice were you disappointed. 
 
 " Cause enough for one like you for revenge, 
 deadly revenge : so you swore to destroy us ; 
 and I know that, had it not been for the royal 
 passport, you would have assassinated us in 
 front of the guard-house; but you feared the 
 just wrath of your king, which would surely 
 have overtaken you had he found his royal 
 will set at naught. You therefore thought to 
 work out your fell purpose surer and better 
 by following us hither and slaying not only us, 
 but also those here, who never harmed you, that 
 it might seem as though we had fallen victims 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN". 31 
 
 to the unjust wrath of thy countrymen, like so 
 many before us. But for once you have been 
 grievously mistaken. You are in our power now; 
 and although we disdain to take the life of such 
 as you, still, a regard for the safety of these, of 
 whom one is worth more than hundreds of you, 
 compels us to keep you until you can harm us 
 no more. Before consigning you to your tempo 
 rary prison, however, I would first hear all 
 thou knowest concerning us and those we love ; 
 for well am I aware that it is you above all 
 who are in possession of more secrets concerning 
 the court and its surroundings than any other man 
 in Nineveh. Speak, therefore, if thou valuest 
 whole limbs; for, by the living God of my fathers, 
 I will have thee tortured until the torn frag 
 ments of thy polluted carcass strew the ground, 
 if you conceal or disguise aught of what you 
 know." 
 
 With this Nahum made a sign to some of his 
 followers; whereupon four stout men brought 
 forth a rude bench, covered with nails and 
 screws of peculiar workmanship. At the sight 
 of this contrivance poor Bareck again fell on his 
 knees. 
 
32 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 " Oh, have mercy !" he cried, in the most sup 
 plicating tones. " Spare me ! do not torture me ! 
 I dare not disclose any thing; for I am bound 
 to secrecy by the most solemn oath." 
 
 But Nahum was inflexible. 
 
 " What is your oath ?" he said. " It is not sworn 
 by the only living God, whom you do not acknow 
 ledge ; and all other swearing is but profanation. 
 Yet fain would I leave thee; for I do not like to 
 make you break your word, in addition to your 
 other sins. But the holiest interests of a nation 
 demand that we should know all; and therefore, 
 executioners, do your work." 
 
 The wretched captain felt himself lifted up by 
 stout arms and thrown on the bench, on the 
 sharp nails and screws. His feet were then 
 thrust between two logs of wood, on each end 
 of which were two screws, which the execu 
 tioners began to tighten. Slowly the stout logs 
 were drawn together: yet with some fortitude 
 the soldier endured his pains. But the men 
 continued their labor. Nearer and nearer the 
 logs came together, until human nature could 
 hold out no longer, and, with a last effort, Bareck 
 cried out, " Stop! I will confess !" 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN". 33 
 
 The screws were at once loosened, the almost 
 flattened legs of the unfortunate man bathed in 
 cold water, and every effort was made to lessen the 
 almost unendurable pain. Bareck had fainted; 
 but, after an hour of assiduous labor, he opened 
 his eyes and consciousness returned. At sight 
 of the torturing-machine he shuddered, and at 
 once signified his intention to confess all he 
 knew. 
 
 "I am," he commenced, "as you know, the 
 captain of the city-guard, but obtained that 
 post only through the intercession of some 
 powerful friends and relations, chief of whom 
 was my kinsman Amalech, then first chamber 
 lain of Shalmanezer. 
 
 " Before the capture of the Israelites, Shalma 
 nezer was all we his subjects could wish him to 
 be : he was in truth the father of his country. 
 But after the destruction of Samaria, and when 
 the captives had been brought to our city, our 
 king one day met a maiden of your nation ; and 
 so smitten was he with her charms that forth 
 with his whole nature became changed. He 
 only lived in the smiles of his beloved Abi; and 
 not only was her every wish gratified, but from 
 
34 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 that day Shalmanezer began to prefer the 
 Israelites to his own Assyrians, and more than 
 one hint was thrown out that he even forsook 
 the gods of our fathers and turned to the 
 religion of the despised Jew r s. Then it was 
 that the king lost the love and confidence of his 
 subjects; and on you and Harim being raised to 
 the high positions you now occupy, the former 
 love was turned into intense hatred. Conspi 
 racies against the once-worshipped ruler were 
 formed nearly every week; and the most promi 
 nent one that of the two head chamberlains 
 would have succeeded beyond all doubt, but for 
 the interference of Harim. From the first I 
 was chosen by the disaffected people to ferret 
 out all the secrets of the court and its immediate 
 surroundings, and to spread the discontent as 
 far as I could. My office as captain of the 
 guard brought me in constant intercourse with 
 the officers of the king's and his minister's house 
 holds ; and thus I was enabled to render many 
 valuable services to my employers. I was not 
 long in finding out the esteem in which your 
 friend and you were held by your masters; and, 
 after the explosion of the last conspiracy and 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 35 
 
 the subsequent execution of my friend and kins 
 man, I resolved to have you destroyed first, and 
 this very night was to witness your final doom. 
 When I saw you leave the city an hour ago, I 
 would at once have detained and delivered you 
 to your executioners, but I dared not. As yet 
 Shalmanezer is our king; and it might have cost 
 my head had it been found out that Harim had 
 been slain or captured in spite of his having 
 shown me his passport; and, as the porter then 
 on duty at the eastern gate is known to be a 
 staunch adherent of the royal house, my detec 
 tion would have been certain. But I did the 
 next best thing in my power: I despatched one 
 of my men to follow you, and from him I learned, 
 fifteen minutes later, where you had gone. Half 
 an hour afterwards I was relieved by one of my 
 lieutenants, and then without delay I selected 
 the two best of my men in addition to the one 
 who followed you, and, without even hinting 
 I where I was going, I at once turned my steps 
 hitherward. 
 
 " This is what I know concerning you ; but 
 that is not all. I know one thing more. You 
 
36 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 asked me concerning those whom you loved. 
 And whom should you love but Hermione ?" 
 
 " Ah !" cried Nahum, eagerly, " what of Her 
 mione? Speak, and not a hair on your head 
 shall be harmed, if you tell me truly." 
 
 "The king's daughter loves you most sin 
 cerely," Bareck continued. "When she first 
 beheld you at work in one of the gardens of 
 Almanzor, she was smitten with your manly 
 beauty, but more so with the undaunted courage 
 with which she saw you bear your humble lot, 
 after she had learned what and who you were. 
 ' Ah/ she cried, ' I knew he was royal : none but 
 a descendant of royalty is capable of a fortitude 
 so noble !' And from that day her heart has been 
 yours. Through her intercession you soon rose 
 to the office of head groom ; and it has long 
 since ceased to be a secret in both households 
 that she will wed none but you. Her father's 
 cousin, Abimelech, a young man of rank and 
 princely fortune, had hitherto considered him 
 self the destined husband of the maiden ; and, 
 on his becoming acquainted with the state of 
 affairs, his rage knew no bounds. He would 
 have slain you with his own hands, had he 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 37 
 
 dared. He tried the next thing : he asked 
 Almanzor to discharge you from your high 
 position. But here too he was disappointed; 
 for the resolution of Hermione was no secret 
 to her father, and he loved his child too well 
 to allow a humiliation so public to be inflicted 
 on the innocent object of her most affectionate 
 regards. Abimelech then sought me, and, hold 
 ing out a really princely reward, easily suc 
 ceeded in making me the tool with which to 
 rid the earth of his hated rival. Of the in 
 terviews you had with the lovely Hermione, 
 and which she contrived to give you with all 
 the ingenuity of her sex, I need hardly speak ; 
 but of many a one have I been a concealed 
 witness, ready to plunge the steel into your 
 heart, should a sure chance offer. You are 
 alive, the best proof that such a chance never 
 offered ; and that it did not is owing to the 
 watchful care of Hermione, who suspected her 
 cousin's designs from the first. Toward you her 
 heart remains unchanged; but whether you 
 will ever be so fortunate as to call her your 
 own remains to be seen, as all the people, and 
 particularly the nobles, are strenuously opposed 
 
38 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 to the match, and the king, as you know, has 
 lost too much of his power to dare any thing 
 against the people's will." 
 
 Thus far went Bareck's revelation ; and Na- 
 hum knew it to be true in all essential points, 
 a fact of which the captain seems to have been 
 well aware, as else it would appear most sur 
 prising that he should have spoken so openly 
 and in detail. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 39 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE DREAM. 
 
 WHEN Bareck had concluded, lie was once 
 more assured by Nahum that he and his men 
 would be perfectly safe, but that his own and 
 his friends' security demanded their being kept 
 in durance up to a certain period, which was 
 not far off; and then the four Assyrians were 
 led to a remote part of the cavern, where a 
 stout oaken door opened into a good-sized room, 
 furnished with straw pallets, a rude deal table, 
 and several blocks of wood which served as 
 chairs ; and this they were told would be their 
 temporary residence. 
 
 After the prisoners had thus been disposed of, 
 old Mordecai bade his friends follow him, and, 
 going to the western boundary of the cavern, he 
 touched a secret spring in the rocky wall, where 
 upon a huge stone slowly turned on one side 
 and revealed to the eyes of his astonished 
 nephews a flight of three steps, which led 
 
40 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL \ OR, 
 
 into another subterranean chamber of vast di 
 mensions. 
 
 This large cavern was almost wholly filled 
 with a huge structure of a peculiar shape, now 
 seeming very near its completion, and which 
 Mordecai ascended by means of a ladder placed 
 against its side. The bottom of this structure, 
 composed of the soundest and best oak timber 
 that could have been found, was made gradually 
 sloping inwards until the two sides met in the 
 middle and formed a perfect triangle, while the 
 fore part, also gently sloping, resembled the fore 
 part of a huge fish. The roof to which the old 
 man ascended was almost flat, and had in it 
 three large square holes, through which, by 
 means of ladders, the interior of the building 
 could be reached. This interior was divided by 
 means of thin partitions into smaller apartments, 
 some of which were filled with fruit, bread, and 
 different kinds of meat, others contained water 
 in goat-skin bags, while the rest seemed to be 
 appropriated to bedrooms and various other 
 uses. 
 
 The whole was put firmly and tightly to 
 gether, and seemed perfectly proof against wind 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 41 
 
 and water, thus resembling in all appearance 
 our modern shore and canal boats of the largest 
 size. On the sides of the vessel descended 
 several long boards, about two inches in thick 
 ness, which were fastened to long poles reaching 
 almost to the middle of the deck. These poles 
 rested on pivots, and by means of them the 
 boards could easily be raised and swayed back 
 and forward. I have yet to add that the roof 
 or deck was guarded by a stout railing four feet 
 high, and my description of the first vessel that 
 probably ever was built, with the exception of 
 the Ark, is completed. 
 
 , When the men were assembled on the vessel's 
 deck, Harim and Nahum could conceal their 
 wonder and surprise no longer, and various were 
 their exclamations and eager inquiries. 
 
 But Mordecai, now raising himself to his full 
 height, bade them be silent; and then, sinking 
 on his knees, in which he was imitated by 
 every one on board, he raised his aged hands 
 on high, and, after thanking Jehovah for all 
 his goodness and blessings, implored the divine 
 assistance in their perilous undertaking. 
 
 Then he arose, blessed the assembled mul- 
 
 4* 
 
42 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 titude, who all regarded him as a father, and 
 said, in a solemn voice trembling with emotion, 
 "Children, the time has now come when an 
 explanation is due to you of all I have hitherto 
 done. When, five years ago, I beheld the dis 
 tress and the oppression of my unfortunate 
 brethren, I was sorely troubled, and resolved 
 not to rest until I had exerted my humble power 
 to the utmost in their behalf. I was compara 
 tively free then; for the heathens either re 
 spected my old age, or else did not think my 
 services worth the having. In one of my soli 
 tary walks, I reflected on our former prosperity 
 and the course of life we had pursued; and Je 
 hovah, in his infinite goodness and mercy, en 
 lightened my heart. I saw that we owed our 
 present misfortunes to ourselves, to the ungodly 
 and sinful life we had led; and a voice within 
 me seemed to say, ' Arise and be strong: despair 
 not, but turn your thoughts heavenward to Him, 
 the giver of all good and bad ; put your trust in 
 Jehovah, and he surely will not abandon you. 
 Sorely have you grieved the God of your fathers, 
 in your prosperity, until he has left you and 
 given you into the hands of your enemies as an 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 43 
 
 atonement for your sins. But behold what he 
 has done even in your captivity, how he has 
 turned the heart of Shalmanezer, once your 
 most relentless enemy, until now you are even 
 preferred to his own Assyrians. Leave your 
 wicked ways, turn back to the only living God, 
 and he surely will deliver you/ 
 
 "From that day there came a change over 
 me. I too had strayed from the right path; 
 in me too the world and its bad examples 
 had subdued all holier and better feelings. 
 Instead of putting my trust in him, I had 
 murmured against the God of Israel for our 
 misfortunes, like the rest of our friends. But 
 now I had once more learned in whom all our 
 hopes must be centred ; and that very night I 
 did not seek my lowly couch until I had emp 
 tied my heart at Jehovah's feet. I now set 
 to work to find my two noble nephews Harim 
 and Nahum, whom I admonished to put their 
 trust in the Almighty, and, by perseverance 
 and unfaltering attention to whatever duties 
 might be imposed upon them, to gain the good 
 will of their masters. ' And bravely have they 
 followed my advice. A few nights after, when 
 
44 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 I lay on my couch, thinking about our misfor 
 tune and praying to God for a speedy deliver 
 ance, I fell asleep; and now followed one of 
 those strange circumstances which sometimes 
 direct the whole course of a man's life. 
 
 "I had a dream; but so vivid was it that it 
 seemed then, and seems now, strict reality. I 
 was standing on the summit of a mountain 
 whose head towered high above the clouds. 
 Beneath my feet lay stretched out the land of 
 our captivity, and I saw my beloved brethren 
 toiling from morn till night, driven by the cruel 
 lash of their merciless tormentors. But on 
 raising my eyes I beheld in the far distance, 
 and divided from where I stood by an almost 
 endless expanse of water, the green vales, the 
 silvery streams, and the beautiful forests of a 
 new country; and high over it in the sky I saw 
 written, in flaming letters, 
 
 " 'A new Canaan for those who seek me/ 
 "I stood with outstretched arms, my gaze 
 riveted on the lovely scene, when I felt a light 
 touch on my right shoulder, and, turning my 
 eyes, I looked into the face of an old man of 
 most venerable appearance. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 45 
 
 "*My son,' said he, mildly, and in the most 
 melodious voice I have ever heard, 'thy 
 prayers have ascended to God, and I now am 
 here to take thee hence to a land where thou 
 shalt be free, where thou mayest worship Je 
 hovah in his own temple.' 
 
 " He took me by the hand and led me to the 
 water's edge, where he pointed out to me a 
 huge structure resting on the water. By a 
 ladder made of ropes and fastened to the top 
 of the structure, he ascended ; and, at a sign from 
 him, I followed. Scarcely had our feet touched 
 the planks, when, impelled by an unseen force, 
 the seeming pile of wood moved slowly out 
 into the boundless wilderness of waters. My 
 guide again approached rne, and, again taking 
 me by the hand, first led me to a bench, 
 whereon sat four stalwart men, whose brawny 
 arms were holding and swaying back and for 
 ward two long poles resting on pivots, and on 
 whose outer ends were fastened long boards 
 hanging over the side of the vessel. I saw 
 the men stooping forward, pressing the poles 
 down till they almost touched the planks, and 
 then they were pushed out as far as the arms 
 
46 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 of the men could reach; anon the poles were 
 raised again, and pulled back with all the force 
 the laborers could command. My guide, who 
 perceived my wonder at this unusual occupa 
 tion, next took me to the vessel's side, where 
 I perceived that, on the poles being pressed 
 down and pushed forward, the boards, which 
 were fastened to the ends of them and ordi 
 narily hung in the water, were lifted clean out 
 of it; and then, on the poles being lifted and 
 hauled in, the boards again sank into the 
 water and were pushed forward by the united 
 strength of the four men, when they acted as 
 so many levers, which propelled the vessel for 
 ward with such a force that she shot through 
 the water like an arrow. The venerable old 
 man then descended with me into the interior 
 of the building, where, after showing me the 
 different apartments for meat, water, bed 
 rooms, &c., he raised a trap-door in the middle 
 of the floor, and showed me a quantity of heavy 
 stones, with which, he said, the entire room 
 from the bottom of the structure to the floor 
 on which we stood was filled, so as to restore 
 the balance of the vessel and to prevent the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 47 
 
 wind and waves throwing her over, as, without 
 the ballast, the part above water was much 
 heavier than that below. He next informed me 
 as to the construction of the lower part of his 
 vessel, and made with chalk a drawing of the 
 entire structure on the floor, so complete that 
 I perfectly recollected it on awaking. We now 
 returned on deck, when, to my surprise, I saw 
 several white seeming clouds, which propelled 
 the vessel faster than before, without any work 
 at all on the part of the men. But, before I could 
 interrogate my friendly guide as to the meaning 
 of this new apparition, the vessel struck the 
 land, when the latter, guide, water, and all, 
 disappeared as if by magic, and I found myself 
 lying in my own bed. 
 
 "My first action was to jump up; and, without 
 really knowing what I did, I at once took my 
 tablet and made a drawing of what I had seen. 
 I then crept back into my bed, where I soon 
 again fell asleep, and did not wake until late 
 the next morning. I then arose, much re 
 freshed ; and, on recollection being restored, the 
 scene of my last night's adventures again stood 
 vividly before my mind's eyes, and, my looks 
 
48 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 falling upon the drawing made in the night, I 
 recognized it as the same I had seen made by 
 the mysterious guide of my dream. 
 
 " I now became restless ; and a secret power 
 seemed to drive me on to the completion of the 
 work now before me. A few days after, I ac 
 cidentally heard some one express the wish 
 to have a good gardener in the vicinity of 
 the city; and, as I possessed some knowledge 
 of plants and flowers, together with some old 
 works on the art of horticulture, I regarded 
 this as another godsend, and at once made my 
 purpose to become a public gardener known to 
 some chance acquaintances, and soon had the 
 pleasure of seeing my plan approved of; and, 
 to my great joy, my nephew Lamech was 
 offered me as assistant and companion. I then 
 went out to the banks of the river, to select a 
 suitable locality for my future occupation; and I 
 have not the least doubt that it was by the 
 special direction of Providence I hit on this 
 spot. Here, with the assistance of Lamech, I 
 soon constructed the light cot overhead, and 
 in all earnest began to prepare the soil. My 
 efforts were crowned with complete success, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 49 
 
 and in the first year I raised enough not only 
 to pay my rent and live comfortably, but I was 
 also enabled to lay by a considerable quantity 
 of provisions for future use. When I was not 
 absolutely compelled to work outside, and while 
 Lamech alone was busy in the garden, I went 
 to work to improve the interior of my house. 
 A cellar being one of the first necessities for a 
 man of my calling, I began to dig the ground 
 in my hut, when one day, as I was busy 
 at work, I all at once struck a well-preserved 
 huge stone slab, which, on closer inspection, 
 proved to be a trap-door revolving on a pivot 
 and leading to a subterranean vault of vast pro 
 portions. To describe my surprise and almost 
 maddening joy at this happy discovery would 
 be impossible. I raised the stone, threw open 
 the doors and windows of my house, to admit 
 a current of fresh air, and soon had the foul 
 atmosphere of my splendid cellar sufficiently 
 cleared to admit of my exploring the cavern. 
 I then lowered a ladder of my own construc 
 tion, the old steps that led down being so 
 much decayed by time as to be unserviceable, 
 provided myself with a blazing fagot of pine- 
 
50 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 wood, and boldly descended to the floor of the 
 vault. On closely examining every nook and 
 corner, I first detected the room yonder, which 
 now serves as the prison of our captives; 
 then I went from one end of the room to the 
 other, so as to form some idea of its size, when 
 I was again surprised on perceiving a rusty iron 
 knob in one of the apparently solid rocky sides. 
 Not doubting that this knob must serve some 
 purpose, I first attempted to turn it and 
 then pressed it, when -judge of my astonish 
 ment! I saw a huge slab slowly move on one 
 side, revealing to my bewildered gaze a second 
 chamber, of still greater extent than the first. 
 A dull sound as of rushing waters soon led me 
 to a closer examination of its boundaries; and I 
 was not long in finding the side whence the 
 sound proceeded, constructed of solid masonry. 
 All this led me to the conclusion that these 
 vaults must originally have been an excavation 
 made by the river, for it is the Tigris that 
 flows past, and the floor of the cavern I have 
 found to be on a level with its bed, which in 
 all probability was secured from the waters by 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 51 
 
 some mighty ruler, in days long gone by, for 
 purposes of his own. 
 
 "What those purposes may have been, and 
 whether that wall was built after the river had 
 been led in another channel the while or other 
 wise, concerned me not ; and I have never given 
 it a serious thought. It was enough for my 
 purpose that the vaults existed ; and now, with 
 the help of the Almighty, I am sure the day of 
 our freedom is dawning. 
 
 " After this happy discovery, I at once set to 
 work to construct means for ventilation, which 
 I contrived to conceal by shrubbery so com 
 pletely that detection is next to impossible. 
 Then I accumulated as much wood and pro 
 visions as, by working day and night, I possibly 
 could. My next thought was on procuring 
 tools and other necessary hardware ; and these 
 too I at length succeeded in accumulating in 
 sufficient quantity; when, at last, three years 
 ago, I set out upon a journey through the 
 empire to seek those of my countrymen who 
 would prefer freedom at all hazards to slavery 
 and death under the lash of our cruel oppressors. 
 I found two hundred men who volunteered to 
 
52 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 share my fortunes ; and, through the most mar 
 vellous intervention of Divine Providence, I suc 
 ceeded in bringing them, together with their 
 families, safely to this place. How this really was 
 brought about I hardly know myself; but here 
 we are, to praise Jehovah's goodness and mercy ; 
 and if you, my noble nephews, would know the 
 particulars of our escaping all dangers and detec 
 tion, let each one tell his own story, at a time 
 more fitting for idle talk than the present. 
 
 " On our arrival, we at once commenced the 
 building of this vessel; and now all is ready for 
 an immediate move. All that remains to be 
 done is to bring our brethren who live in the 
 city of Nineveh each one of whom is duly 
 forewarned out to this place, a task by no 
 means easy, and which I deferred to the last, 
 so as not to create a too strong suspicion in this 
 immediate vicinity, sure to follow the sudden 
 disappearance of so many people. Then we 
 have to break down the wall which separates us 
 from the river ; and, as its waters at flood-tide 
 which will set in at midnight precisely will 
 stand five or six feet above the bottom of this 
 cavern, it will be easy to move the vessel into 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 53 
 
 the stream ; and, once there, we are free ; for by 
 daylight we shall be far beyond Nineveh ; and, 
 even if by accident we should be discovered by 
 one or the other, they will have no means to 
 impede our progress. 
 
 " To-morrow, then, we will try to remove our 
 brethren out of the city ; and the night following 
 the day after to-morrow will, with the help of 
 Jehovah, witness our departure for the new 
 Canaan. 
 
 " You, my nephews Nahum and Harim, will 
 therefore do best by losing no more time, but 
 return at once to the city, to avoid all suspicion; 
 for I know that you have to make a good many 
 preparations before you can join us to bid a final 
 farewell to the land of our oppressors." The old 
 man ceased ; and the assembled multitude, who 
 had listened to him in breathless silence, arose, 
 and one after the other advanced and silently 
 and reverently kissed Mordecai's hands; where 
 upon Nahum and Harim took their leave and 
 hastened back to Nineveh. 
 
 5* 
 
54 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER IY. 
 
 HERMIONE. 
 
 IN a lofty and gorgeously-furnished apart 
 ment of the royal palace sat the king's daughter. 
 She was now sixteen years old, and just verging 
 into womanhood. She was beautiful, ay, won- 
 drously beautiful. To do justice to the exquisite 
 cut of her features, we should be endowed with 
 the pencil and skill of a Raphael; while her 
 form was such as the mother of Hercules must 
 have possessed, to bring even a god to her feet. 
 Near this royal and commanding beauty on 
 whose high and noble brow the diadem would 
 have seemed a mockery was seated the lovely 
 Tamar, one of Israel's fair daughters, who had 
 been brought captive to Nineveh. She was the 
 servant, but rather the companion and confidant, 
 of Hermione, a position to which she had been 
 raised through her own unassuming modesty, 
 and in spite of the most strenuous opposition on 
 the part of Shalmanezer's relations and friends. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 55 
 
 Tamar had succeeded in filling the soul of her 
 royal mistress with the noblest thoughts, and 
 was in turn regarded by her as a sister. 
 
 The maidens had evidently been conversing 
 on some very interesting subject ; for the height 
 ened color and the sparkling eye of Hermione 
 spoke of mighty feelings stirred within her 
 bosom. But all at once a deep-drawn sigh, 
 coming from the very bottom of her heart, es 
 caped her, and, raising her eyes, which had sud 
 denly lost their lustre and assumed a troubled 
 appearance, she said, in a tremulous though 
 sweet and melodious voice, 
 
 " Tamar, my sister, my soul becomes troubled, 
 and dark forebodings steal within my heart. 
 You know the revengeful nature of my cousin 
 Abimelech; and I tremble for the life of my 
 noble Nahum. Until recently, my cousin has 
 regarded me as his destined bride. His rank 
 and wealth have purchased him a power and 
 influence second only to that of the king, my 
 father ; while his known adherence to the false 
 gods and errors of this heathen nation whereas 
 my father is more than suspected of a strong 
 
56 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 leaning toward the true God of Israel gives 
 him a fearful ascendency. 
 
 " His rage, on discovering my attachment to 
 Nahum, knew no bounds ; and no means has he 
 left untried to hurl his rival from his path. Ay, 
 the assassin whose steel is to pierce Nahum's 
 heart has been hired. 
 
 "Thus far his wicked designs have failed; 
 but how long can it remain thus ? my friend, 
 my sister, the blow will fall, and I shall be sacri 
 ficed! 
 
 " But no ! no ! I will not submit. The dagger 
 now concealed within my bosom shall find my 
 heart ere Abimelech's polluted touch shall defile 
 my person ! 
 
 " But where, my beloved, where may Nahum 
 be? How long is't since you saw him? The 
 hour when he was to meet me draws nigh. 
 Should evil befall him ! Oh ! " 
 
 "Grieve not, dear mistress," interrupted Ta- 
 mar, in a low, silvery voice. " Grieve not : he 
 will be true to his appointment. I saw him 
 scarce four hours ago, well and happy ; and, be 
 lieve me, the God of his fathers will protect him. 
 
 " Cheer up, then, dear lady, cheer up, and let 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 57 
 
 me fetch my lute to enliven the lonely hours. 
 It wants yet an hour to midnight; and not 
 before the third hour of the morning, when 
 everybody is buried in sleep, may you expect to 
 behold your lover." 
 
 With a melancholy smile, Hermione thanked 
 her companion, and the latter went to fetch the 
 lute. After a short and lively prelude, she 
 sang, 
 
 " Drive trouble and sorrow away from your bosom ; 
 
 Let darkness and gloom not o'ershadow your life : 
 Take courage, and fear not; for everywhere blossom 
 Truth, love, and friendship, spite warfare and strife. 
 
 " Though perils, e'en death, may endanger his coming, 
 Your lover is brave, and his heart knows no fear ; 
 Like the lion, who through Afric's deserts is roaming, 
 He will come ; for he knows that his true love waits here. 
 
 " Blessing for woman the greatest all over 
 Is a constant, a faithful, a trustworthy lover." 
 
 The last note of the refrain was yet trembling 
 on the air, when footsteps were heard approach 
 ing the room where the maidens sat. Her 
 mione bent her head to listen, and then, pressing 
 her hand upon her heart, as if to repress its 
 tumultuous beating, she arose, and, advancing to 
 
58 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 where Tamar sat, said, in a husky voice, "Hark! 
 dost hear those footsteps ? That is my father. 
 Something unusual must have happened, or he 
 would not visit me at this hour. Oh ! I know 
 the time has come when my fate is to be decided ! 
 Be still, my poor heart : whatever it may be, let 
 us meet it bravely !" 
 
 A knock at the door, a resolute "Come in," the 
 door opened, and Shalmanezer stood face to face 
 with his daughter. The conqueror of Samaria 
 was at this time about sixty-five years of age, 
 and rather above the medium height. He mea 
 sured five feet and ten inches. His noble and 
 intelligent face indicated a good heart, but was 
 now clouded by trouble and sorrow. 
 
 He grasped the outstretched hand of his child, 
 and, pressing it warmly, kindly inquired after 
 her health. Then he sat down on a low ottoman 
 beside his daughter. 
 
 Tamar had risen on the entrance of the king, 
 and now was about to leave the room, when the 
 voice of Hermione arrested her. 
 
 " Stay," the royal maiden said : " whatever 
 my father may have to communicate, I am sure 
 
THE FIRST OF THE BED MEN. 59 
 
 it is nothing that my friend and companion 
 might not hear. Is't not so, my father ?" 
 
 " Yes, my child, although I had wished that 
 our conversation should be private : yet, as you 
 desire it, Tamar may remain. 
 
 "You may have wondered," the king con 
 tinued, " at this unseasonable visit ; but things 
 have transpired which demand a prompt action 
 on our part. 
 
 "Abimelech," Hermione shuddered as she 
 heard that name pronounced by her parent, 
 " whose power and influence, as you know, are 
 almost equal to my own, has sued for thy hand, 
 and demands an unqualified answer. In case 
 of a refusal, he threatens to join my enemies; 
 and then I know all will be lost. Yet for my 
 self I fear not; for although many of my As 
 syrians are against me, yet I still have many 
 friends, and, being an old man, I am sure that 
 those I have ruled so long dare not harm me, 
 but will let me live in peace for the few years 
 that my life will be spared. But for you, my 
 dear, I tremble ; for should Abimelech come to 
 power, thy lot would indeed be a hard one, unless 
 vou consent to become his wife. 
 
60 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 " I hastened hither to communicate this, and 
 also to tell you that I have gained three days 
 for you to make up your mind. After that time 
 Abimelech awaits an answer, and, alas ! your 
 poor old father has lost the power to protect his 
 child. But I wish you to understand that I will 
 not force you to any thing against your own 
 inclination : so you will only have to examine 
 your heart and give your answer according to its 
 promptings. 
 
 " Now you know all ; and, as I am a bad coun-, 
 sel in affairs of the heart, and the time for re 
 tiring being come, I bid thee good-night, my 
 child, and may thy dreams be pleasant and 
 happy!" 
 
 The poor man then hastily retired, for he 
 seemed to fear the outbursts of grief on the part 
 of his truly beloved child, and the maidens 
 were left alone. 
 
 A silence of some duration, which neither of 
 them seemed willing to break, was at length 
 terminated by Hermione, who clasped her hands, 
 and, sinking on her knees, fervently cried, 
 
 66 Thou God of Israel, whom I too adore, guide 
 and help me in this fearful emergency. What, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 61 
 
 oh, what shall I do? On one side my poor, 
 almost heart-broken father, on the other the 
 friend of my bosom, my noble and brave lover. 
 But, lo ! behold at my father's back that dread 
 ful, that abhorred man, Abimelech, the man of 
 iniquity and of blood! Never should I dare to 
 1 lift my heart to thy throne, my God ; for he 
 whom they would make my husband would crush 
 me, as he would crush every other true believer. 
 
 " No ! duty toward my Creator demands, and 
 I must, I will obey ! Death, or Nahum !" 
 
 She had arisen, but now she sank back on 
 her ottoman. Exhausted nature could hold out 
 no longer, and she fell into a deep and swoon- 
 like sleep. 
 
 Tamar bent over the sleeping maiden, and 
 long and anxiously did she watch. But at 
 length she was convinced that the sleep was 
 sound, and that there was no danger. She 
 therefore went back, trimmed her lamp for the 
 night, and sat down on her own low couch. 
 
 Here she began to muse; and anon, giving 
 words to her thoughts, she said, 
 
 " There she lies, young, rich, and beautiful, 
 the daughter of a mighty king, but, oh, how 
 
62 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 unhappy! Not all the wealth of Solomon 
 could compensate her for the trouble she feels. 
 Not even I, the despised captive, would exchange 
 my lot for hers. I too love ; between me and 
 my love there also arise dangers. I too can 
 say 'My lover is brave and his heart knows no 
 fear;' but between me and my heart's choice there 
 stands no abhorred suitor, and I need not to 
 fear the breaking of a father's heart. I am free 
 in my choice, and therefore, although a captive, 
 freer than my royal mistress ! 
 
 "0 Harim! my true, my noble lover, I 
 feel it, I shall be yours ! But Hermione ! she 
 
 is so good, so noble, so brave, and She 
 
 must, she shall be saved, should I myself 
 perish !" 
 
 She sank on her knees, and long and fervently 
 did she pray to the God of her fathers. Then 
 she lay back on her couch; and soon the drowsy 
 god came and folded her to his bosom. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 63 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 DETERMINATION. 
 
 WHEN Harim and Nahum left old Mordecai's 
 dwelling, they hastened, full of wonder at what 
 they had seen and heard, straight to the city. 
 It was late, or rather early in the morning, it 
 being nearly two hours after midnight; and they 
 began to fear that their absence might have been 
 discovered, a circumstance they wished by all 
 means to avoid. That they were as yet in no 
 wise implicated or suspected by any one but 
 their relentless enemy Bareck, they had, to their 
 intense satisfaction, learned by the confession of 
 the latter; but he for the present was safe, and 
 therefore nothing was to be apprehended from 
 that quarter. And there was yet another cause for 
 rejoicing. That the impending interview of the 
 lovers had been betrayed to Abimelech, and was 
 therefore as well known by Bareck, there could 
 be no doubt. But it was also certain that the 
 king's nephew would hold his peace concerning 
 
64 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 his knowledge, so as in no wise to be implicated 
 if his hired assassin's blow should strike home ; 
 and so there was nothing to be feared but his 
 vile tool, and that was out of harm's way. But 
 the protracted absence of the captain might 
 have created alarm; and therefore our two 
 friends this time directed their steps toward 
 the southern gate, where the departure of Bareck 
 was not so likely to be known. They found the 
 gate locked; but, making their presence known 
 by three loud raps, they were instantly admitted 
 by the officer on duty, who, after examining 
 Harim's passport, where, as usual, no name was 
 mentioned, courteously saluted and let them 
 pass without hinderance. Nahum and Harim, on 
 leaving their friends, had assumed a disguise, 
 and had therefore not been recognized by the 
 officer, who believed them to be some favored 
 officers of the king's household who had been 
 hunting for adventures in the suburbs of the 
 city, as was not unfrequently the case. 
 
 Once within the city, our wanderers were 
 safe, as they could easily have accounted for their 
 being abroad at this time, had need been. But 
 they were not molested, and did not even meet 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 65 
 
 with any thing worth their attention, until they 
 came to a place where the street they were 
 following crossed one of the most frequented 
 thoroughfares of Nineveh, when, on nearing 
 the corner, they saw two men emerging from one 
 of those places where the debauchees of the 
 " better class of society" used to resort for their 
 licentious and bacchanalian orgies, and which 
 at that time abounded in that vicinity. The 
 two men whom our friends had no difficulty 
 in recognizing as Abimelech and one of his 
 boon-companions were evidently the worse for 
 the wine they had imbibed, and, in a rather 
 uncertain gait, took the same direction which 
 Nahum and his cousin were following. The 
 latter fell a little behind, and, keeping in the 
 deepest shade, followed on, without their pre 
 sence being suspected, when, at length, the 
 heavy tongue of Abimelech broke loose, and, 
 with a terrible oath, he cried out, 
 
 " Perdition seize these d d Jews ! Would 
 
 that the whole cursed nation had but one head ! 
 I would sever it from the body with one stroke 
 of my good sword. Look at this Nahum ! the 
 miserable wretch dares_to lift his gaze to my 
 
 E 6* 
 
66 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 own royal bride; and, by all that's infernal, 
 she returns his affection ! 
 
 "Hitherto he has escaped my vengeance; but 
 this very night will see him slain, ay, hurled 
 out of existence. 
 
 " Bareck is true and brave ; and he has pro 
 mised me that before to-morrow's sun arises 
 the Jewish dog shall perish, were he to be slain 
 at Hermione's feet. The captain will be true to 
 his word; and at daybreak I shall hasten to the 
 king's daughter, whose heart I will wrest from 
 her bosom, until she lies prostrate at my feet and 
 acknowledges me her lord and master. Then, 
 the king being subdued already, I shall ascend 
 the throne of Assyria, and woe to the cursed 
 tribe of Israel ! I will crush them, I will 
 hunt them down, until their very name shall 
 be forgotten." 
 
 Nahum and Harim, who had heard every 
 word uttered by their cruel enemy, here came 
 to a place where their road led them in another 
 direction; and soon after both had the satisfac 
 tion of standing in their own rooms, without 
 their absence having been suspected. As it yet 
 lacked an hour of the time appointed for the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 67 
 
 interview with his beloved, Nahum threw him 
 self on his bed, where he enjoyed a short rest: 
 then he arose, dressed himself, and at the third 
 hour of the morning he again went forth to the 
 dwelling of Harim, whom he found ready to 
 accompany him. 
 
 We left Hermione and her companion asleep 
 in one of the apartments of the royal palace. 
 These apartments were situated in the south 
 ern part of the building, and, besides the usual 
 entrance-door, which opened on a corridor that 
 ran the entire length of the palace, they were 
 connected, by a secret stairway that was known 
 only to Hermione, her father, and three other 
 persons, with a room in one of the out-buildings; 
 and, through the intercession of the king's 
 daughter, this room had been assigned to Harim. 
 
 It was about half-past two o'clock in the 
 morning when Hermione awoke; and, turning 
 around, she beheld Tamar, also just opening her 
 eyes. 
 
 The maidens simultaneously arose, and, meet 
 ing in the middle of the room, they embraced 
 each other, their faces lit up with a radiance 
 
68 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 that bespoke an inward happiness not felt for 
 a long time before. 
 
 "Oh," Hermione cried, "such a bright, glo 
 rious vision as I had now ! a dream from which 
 I regret the awaking! 
 
 "I saw Nahum in all the splendor of glo 
 rious manhood. We were walking arm in 
 arm in the most beautiful garden I ever be 
 held. One side of this fair spot was bounded 
 by a majestic forest, the other by towering 
 rocks that kissed the clouds; while the middle 
 was traversed by a silvery stream, whose waters, 
 clear as purest crystal, mirrored the heavens 
 above. We were lost in happiness and content 
 ment, when, as I accidentally lowered my eyes 
 to the ground, I beheld a vermin, with the 
 head and features of Abimelech, ready to dart 
 upon and devour us. I was on the point of cry 
 ing out, to arouse my unconscious lover, when, 
 lo ! there stood beside us an old man of vene 
 rable appearance. His flowing beard of snowy 
 whiteness reached down to his girdle; his 
 eyes were mild and full of kindness; while 
 in his hand he held a chain of iron, to which 
 was bound the hired murderer Bareck. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 69 
 
 "No sooner did the, old man behold the 
 creeping reptile in our path, than he darted 
 forward, and a moment later it lay vermin no 
 longer, but the corpse of our deadliest foe life 
 less at our feet. Nahurn now became aware of 
 the peril we had escaped, and, warmly embracing 
 our noble liberator, he introduced him to me as 
 his uncle." 
 
 Tamar had listened in breathless silence to 
 the recital of her mistress and friend, and, when 
 the latter had concluded, she again strained the 
 royal girl to her bosom in a paroxysm of joy. 
 
 "Oh, happy are we!" she cried; "for thy 
 dream was not a mere fiction of thy fancy. I 
 too had a dream. I too was in that garden, with 
 Harim by my side. I saw the occurrence you 
 have described. This coincidence cannot have 
 been mere accident : it was, it must have been, 
 j sent by Providence, to raise our drooping spirits ; 
 and thus it is a foreshadowing of what really 
 will happen. 
 
 "But, hark! I hear footsteps approaching! 
 
 
 
 And oh, joy! they come from the direction of 
 'the hidden passage." 
 
 And so it proved to be. A moment later, 
 
70 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the click of a hidden spring resounded through 
 the room, the wall in one corner opened as if 
 by magic, and Nahum and Harim stood before 
 the maidens. They met as only true lovers 
 can meet. A long and fervent embrace opened 
 the conversation, and then Nahum recounted 
 their adventures. He spoke of Mordecai and 
 his wonderful dream, of the subterranean 
 chambers, of the ship, of his assembled friends, 
 and of their purpose. To all this the girls 
 listened with astonishment and wonder. But 
 when he at last came to speak of Bareck and 
 of his capture, the maidens again threw them 
 selves rapturously into the arms of their lovers, 
 and in turn now related their simultaneous 
 dream. 
 
 But at last Nahum spoke of their return to 
 the city, of their meeting with Abimelech and 
 his companion, of the hopes and expectations 
 of the former, and of his terrible threat against 
 the king's daughter and the Israelites. This 
 somewhat checked the ardor of the maidens, 
 but at the same time strengthened Hermione in 
 her determination to brave any thing rather 
 than consent to a union with her cousin. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 71 
 
 Harim now led Tamar into an adjoining apart 
 ment, while Nahum and Hermione seated them 
 selves on a low ottoman. 
 
 " Yes, my beloved/' the maiden said, " it is 
 hard to leave a fond and cherished father ; but, 
 where staying is fraught with such dangers to 
 one's self and one's immortal soul as mine would 
 be, all other considerations must be set aside. 
 My determination is taken. I am with thee 
 and thine unto the end of the world." 
 
 "0 my most beloved, my cherished angel!" 
 cried Nahum, in tones that were low and trem 
 bling with emotion, " my heroic, my brave girl ! 
 Wouldst thou indeed leave behind all the luxury 
 and splendor of royalty, to share the fortunes 
 of the despised captive ? 
 
 " Thy presence will redouble my courage ; it 
 will give renewed strength to my arms. Thou 
 shalt be the queen, as I will be the leader, of my 
 brethren, who henceforth and forever shall be 
 spoken of only as the lost tribes of Israel ; for 
 to the land of our fathers we will never return ; 
 but in a far-distant country, beyond seas whose 
 extent is unknown, I will be the founder 
 of a new nation, whose descendants, down to 
 
72 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 future ages, shall be proud of Hermione their 
 mother." 
 
 They then spent another hour in sweet com 
 munion, until Harim came and admonished his 
 friend that it was time to leave. 
 
 It was then settled among the lovers that the 
 next night should be set apart for the flight, 
 the girls disguised in male attire, so as to divert 
 attention from them; and, after another fond 
 embrace, Nahum and Harim returned by the 
 same way they had come. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 73 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ,."-* ^, . -.-. ' . . 
 
 THE FLIGHT. 
 
 THE sun had arisen, and Nahum and Harim 
 were at their posts, as usual, not a soul in the 
 city suspecting their having been beyond their 
 masters' dwellings. 
 
 Abimelech who firmly believed that at least 
 one of them, if not both, would be slain before 
 this time was still in bed, sleeping off the last 
 night's debauch. The few who had seen them 
 leave and enter the city-gates had not recognized 
 them, and not even for once suspected their 
 identity ; while the only men whom they might 
 have feared were locked up in a secure prison, 
 guarded by stout and trusty men. 
 
 But the city was in great commotion : guards 
 men and soldiers were running hither and thither, 
 while a strong detachment of horsemen were pre 
 paring to leave the town. 
 
 On calling the roll of the guard, at sunrise, 
 the absence of their captain and three of the 
 
74 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 best men was discovered. Messengers that were 
 at once despatched to the several dwellings of 
 the missing men had returned with the intelli 
 gence that they had not been at home that night ; 
 while it was also ascertained that they had had 
 no special duties assigned them which might 
 have called them abroad. 
 
 Bareck had been in the habit of strolling out 
 of the city when relieved from his duty; and 
 not unfrequently was he joined on these excur 
 sions by one or the other of his intimate fol 
 lowers, as the immediate neighborhood of the 
 city was thronged with houses of shame and 
 pleasure; but always had they returned long 
 before sunrise, so as to be present at the roll- 
 call every morning. Yet on this morning they 
 had not made their appearance. Three hours 
 had already elapsed, and no tidings of the miss 
 ing, when at last some of the men who had been 
 on duty the previous night bethought themselves 
 of the three men they had seen to leave the city, 
 and whom, after courteously accompanying them 
 to the gate, Bareck undoubtedly had followed. 
 
 But who the three men might have been the 
 soldiers did not know, as they had been too far 
 
THE FIRST OF THE KED MEN. 75 
 
 off when their captain conversed with them : 
 they could not even give a correct description 
 of their outward appearance. Inquiries were 
 now set on foot in every direction : the suburbs 
 were strictly searched, but all in vain. All the 
 guardsmen of the city had been interrogated, 
 but nothing had been elicited. 
 
 The lieutenant of the southern gate, which 
 was the most frequented by the gentry and the 
 king's officers, had let in and out so many during 
 the previous night, and seen so many royal pass 
 ports, that he was not able to recall to mind 
 any special circumstance ; but he was sure that 
 nothing suspicious had come under his obser 
 vation. 
 
 When Abimelech had slept off the effects of his 
 bout and appeared in the streets, the commotion 
 had reached the highest pitch. The horsemen 
 had returned. They had scoured the country for 
 miles around the city. They had entered every 
 house and building they saw, the dwelling of 
 old Mordecai whom they found with his assist 
 ant busy planting some rare flowers not ex- 
 cepted ; but to no purpose : Bareck and his fol 
 lowers had not been found. Mordecai had trem- 
 
76 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 bled when lie saw the horsemen approaching; but 
 he soon mastered his emotion. And well might 
 he tremble; for the soft soil of the garden, 
 which stretched out in front of his house, had 
 retained the footprints not only of Nahum, 
 Harim, and Lamech, but also those of Bareck 
 and his followers, a circumstance he had not 
 thought of before ; but now he remembered it ; 
 and his anxiety, therefore, may well be ima 
 gined. Then, too, a strict observer could pos 
 sibly have detected the subterranean chamber, 
 although it was hidden as well as human inge 
 nuity could do it. Had one or the other been 
 discovered, ruin, complete ruin, would have been 
 certain, and all his plans would have been frus 
 trated on the eve of their maturity. 
 
 But, fortunately, the horsemen were no strict 
 observers. They chatted gayly as they rode 
 along, while the hoofs of their steeds obliterated 
 the afore-mentioned tracks so completely as to 
 make them altogether undiscernible. Arrived 
 in front of the house, two only dismounted and 
 proceeded to examine the interior; but, as they 
 were in a hurry, they contented themselves with 
 carelessly looking into both rooms ; and, not see- 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 77' 
 
 ing any thing suspicious there, they returned 
 and reported to their comrades the result of 
 their search. 
 
 Hereupon the whole troop returned by the 
 same way they had come ; and the obliteration 
 of all tracks now became perfect. 
 
 A more heart-felt thanksgiving, I trow, has 
 never ascended to Jehovah's throne than that 
 which went up out of the breast of the old gar 
 dener when the last horseman had passed out of 
 sight. 
 
 On learning the state of affairs, Abimelech 
 was nearly driven frantic. His firm friend and 
 confidant, the man of all others whom he could 
 intrust with any, even the bloodiest, most 
 wicked and monstrous orders, sure to be obeyed 
 to the very letter, was gone, gone, too, before 
 his hated rival had been hurled out of exist 
 ence. Another man must be found to do the 
 murderous deed. But where to find him? 
 Where was the man so well acquainted with 
 all the secrets of the court and its surround 
 ings, or so well known among the officers of 
 the king's and minister's . households, who would 
 sell himself for gold ? -The execution of his 
 
 7* 
 
78 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 fell plans must be postponed, perhaps aban 
 doned, or he himself must do the work. But 
 that he dared not attempt. 
 
 While in this terrible mood, he bethought him 
 self of Hermione, and straight to the royal 
 palace he went. 
 
 On being announced, he was at once shown 
 to the apartments of the king's daughter, who, 
 to his surprise and intensest joy, welcomed him 
 with a warmth and cordiality that were alto 
 gether too sudden, too intense, to be real. But 
 he saw it not. Blind fool as he was, he did not 
 perceive, what even the most careless observer 
 must have seen, that this was only a mask 
 assumed to hide the disgust and abhorrence the 
 maiden felt in his presence. But his vanity was 
 flattered; and already he beheld himself Her- 
 mione's husband, wielding Assyria's sceptre, 
 clothed in the purple of royalty. Short-sighted 
 mortal ! The very maiden who now smiled upon 
 him so sweetly, pure and feeble though she was, 
 would have felt no remorse in sheathing her 
 dagger in his black heart. But she now spoke 
 kindly to him : she regretted the long estrange 
 ment between them, and altogether succeeded 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 79 
 
 so well in flattering his vanity that he really 
 believed himself the object of her sincere af 
 fection. But when she told him that on the 
 morrow she would give him a final answer, 
 when she held out to him the strongest hopes 
 that this answer would be a favorable one, he 
 was quite beside himself: he threw himself at 
 her feet, he protested his love, and his readiness 
 even to die for her, in such strong terms that 
 she almost believed him in earnest; and he 
 mentally swore that she did love none but him, 
 and that all Bareck had told him of her attach 
 ment to Nahum was base calumny and false 
 hood. 
 
 Could that conceited young man only have 
 foreseen what the morrow had in store for 
 
 him But I must not anticipate, and will let 
 
 him enjoy his brief triumph. After another half- 
 hour's conversation, he retired, believing him 
 self the happiest man alive. 
 
 Nahum and Harim, in the mean time, had not 
 been idle : their own effects, as well as those of 
 the maidens, were packed and conveyed to the 
 house of Abraham, an old Jew who lived in one 
 of the numerous alleys of the city, and where 
 
80 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 old Mordecai was wont to put up on his coming 
 into town, as he frequently did, with horse and 
 cart, loaded with the products of his garden, 
 which he then disposed of to the inhabitants. 
 
 Ample disguises had been provided for the 
 maidens, and the different Israelites in Nineveh, 
 who had previously been sounded, and who had 
 declared their willingness to share the fortunes 
 of Nahum and his friends, were notified that 
 the ensuing night was fixed for their departure. 
 Most of these people had already, and under 
 various pretexts, sent their wives and children, 
 with such of their effects as they could conceal 
 around their persons, out of the city, and were 
 preparing to follow them as opportunity might 
 offer. 
 
 Old Mordecai seemed very busy that day. 
 Three times already had he been in town with 
 his cart, which each time he took back well 
 filled. But, as he was in the habit of taking 
 different things, such as seeds, plants, and par 
 ticularly the city-offals for manuring-purposes, 
 all of which generally were collected by Abra 
 ham and stored in his yard till removed by 
 the old gardener out of the town, whenever he 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 81 
 
 came in, this circumstance occasioned no sur 
 prise. The commotion in the city meantime 
 had not subsided, and, under cover of the din 
 and confusion that generally ensue on occasions 
 of that sort, Mordecai and his confederates 
 quietly and securely worked on, till at length, 
 about two hours before nightfall, every thing was 
 ready, to the removal of the men themselves. 
 This too was soon effected, most of the fugitives 
 pretending to go in search of their wives and 
 families, while others had been accustomed to 
 going in and out of the city at any hour during 
 the day; and, as each Israelite had been marked 
 with some token of servitude, so as to be easily 
 recognizable, these marks served as so many pass 
 ports, which were duly respected by all public 
 officials. 
 
 At last there remained but Nahum, Harim, 
 
 ! Hermione, and Tamar, who could not have left 
 
 the city before night without creating suspicion. 
 
 It was therefore arranged that they should 
 
 leave as soon as possible after the tenth hour, 
 
 ; by the western gate, where some of Hermione's 
 staunchest friends had been put on duty, and 
 where Mordecai promised to be in attendance 
 
82 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 with a score or two of his best and bravest 
 men. 
 
 Abirnelech, in the mean time, had left the 
 royal palace and adjourned to one of his favorite 
 public resorts, where he was sure to find some 
 of his companions with whom to talk over the 
 events of the day. 
 
 In this he was not disappointed, as he 
 found quite a number of the dissipated gentry 
 of Nineveh awaiting his coming. They, on his 
 appearance, boisterously hailed him as the great 
 man of the day, who, as the next after the king, 
 was to be expected to take the most active 
 and prominent part in the affair, and rained 
 such a shower of eager questions upon him, 
 that for a moment he was quite nonplussed. 
 
 After order in a measure being restored, he 
 explained to them, as far as he had understood 
 it himself, the cause of the public commotion; 
 " and," said he, "take my word for it, none but 
 our cursed and miserable captives are at the 
 bottom of all this. 
 
 "Already some of my secret spies have seen 
 that villanous head steward of the king, and 
 that arrogant fellow who acts as head groom 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 83 
 
 in Almanzor's stables, take a quantity of boxes 
 and packages to the stopping-place of that 
 old Jewish gardener in Dog Alley; and the 
 latter has removed them out of the city. I 
 could at once have pounced in upon that affair 
 and spoiled their game; but I prefer to bide 
 my time; and when it does come, I do assure 
 you. I shall sing them such a song as they will 
 not forget in all their lives. 
 
 "But at present I have other matters to 
 occupy my thoughts, and hark ye matters 
 of some import, as well as cause for gladsome 
 rejoicings. 
 
 "Ho, my jolly Pancratius of the never-fail 
 ing bowl ! fill our gaping tankards to the brim ; 
 and you, my trusty companions in many a glo 
 rious bout, sit around me while I relate the day's 
 wonderful revelations." 
 
 Mine host soon brought the fresh supply, 
 and the friends formed a ring around the con 
 ceited braggart, while he, in a drawling and 
 cracked voice, continued, 
 
 "I tell ye, the game is all in my own hands 
 now. Shalmanezer is subdued, and my most 
 
84 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 royal and beautiful lioness is tamed, ay, tamed 
 in such a way as quite surprised even me. 
 
 " Only think of it ! When I called on her to 
 day to hear my final doom, she like a cooing 
 dove received me with outstretched arms, re 
 gretted the long estrangement between us, and 
 called me her dear friend and cousin ! 
 
 " To-morrow I am to receive the reward of 
 my constancy from her own ruby lips, and then, 
 for Assyria's sceptre ! 
 
 "A wedding we will have, such as the world 
 never saw before; and, once in my power, my 
 most noble bride shall soon learn to acknowledge 
 me as her lord and master." 
 
 The wildest acclamations followed this grand 
 speech; and many of the young men present 
 hastened to swear allegiance to their future 
 ruler; while some, more sober and cool than 
 the rest, ominously shook their heads. 
 
 "All very fine," one of these latter remarked; 
 " but, I fear me, all's not gold that glitters. Most 
 strange it is that Hermione, who never even 
 tried to conceal the disgust and abhorrence she 
 felt at the approach of her cousin, should all at 
 once have changed so wonderfully. If there's 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 85 
 
 not something behind all this, then set me down 
 for a croaking raven." 
 
 And in this opinion some of the others 
 joined, until at length even Abimelech was 
 forced to acknowledge that things did wear a 
 somewhat suspicious look. 
 
 But he was not cast down. He was sure 
 of his game. If his spies had not been greatly 
 mistaken, the two Jews Nahum and Harim in 
 tended to make a decisive move that very night; 
 and would it be not only easy, but glorious 
 fun, to pounce down upon them in the act and 
 at once have them destroyed ? And there was 
 yet another thing, which thus far he had kept 
 to himself. 
 
 He had long suspected, and his spies had 
 confirmed it, that a great many of the captive 
 Israelites were leagued, and that they must 
 have some final object in view. Many were 
 the stealthy interviews and conversations be 
 tween Mordecai, his nephews, and many of their 
 countrymen, that had been duly betrayed to 
 Abimelech ; while the events of that very day 
 plainly indicated that something important 
 must be going on, as the unusual stir among 
 
86 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the Israelites, and the uncommon number of 
 Israelitish women and children who had on 
 that day left the city under various pretences, 
 had been faithfully reported to him. And 
 when he at last ascertained that Nahum and 
 Harim were preparing for a move, he no longer 
 doubted that that night had been fixed upon 
 for some great undertaking. But what that 
 undertaking really was he did not know, as all 
 his knowledge regarding the affair was only 
 based on suspicion. It would now have been 
 very easy for him to prevent the captives from 
 going any further than they had already done ; 
 but, to do this, his suspicions must be made 
 public; and that he did not wish to do. 
 
 He had his own reason for letting matters pro 
 gress to their completion : then he would in 
 terfere, with as little help as possible, and, falling 
 upon those whom he considered the mortal 
 enemies of his nation, on the eve of their suc 
 cess, he meant at once to crush them and to be 
 regarded by his countrymen as their savior and 
 liberator. 
 
 That done, his way would be clear, and the 
 possession of Hermione certain, as she would 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 87 
 
 no longer dare to oppose his wishes. How he 
 meant to gain her affection has been indicated 
 by his different conversations when with his 
 companions. 
 
 " And now, my friends/' he concluded, " as I 
 know that you are all true to me, that I can trust 
 you, and, moreover, as you will not be losers if 
 I gain my object, I have decided on making you 
 my companions in this enterprise. Therefore 
 let our jolly host once more fill our tankards, 
 that we may drink a fortunate result to our un 
 dertaking ; and then " 
 
 He was suddenly interrupted by the en 
 trance of a man in the costume of an artisan, 
 who, after making a peculiar sign, retired to the 
 farther end of the room. 
 
 Abimelech hastily arose and joined the 
 new-comer, who briefly informed him that 
 Nahum and Harim would leave the town soon 
 after the tenth hour, by the western gate, 
 where the watch had been assigned to Ackbar, 
 a man well known as one of the most faithful 
 adherents to the royal house. 
 
 Abimelech thanked the messenger, rewarded 
 him handsomely, and told him that his services 
 
88 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 for that day would be required no more; where 
 upon the man withdrew. 
 
 "And now," continued the speaker, on re 
 turning to his companions, " let's home, to arm 
 for our enterprise." 
 
 The tankards were refilled; and, while his 
 companions quaffed the delicious wine, Abi- 
 melech informed them of the messenger's re 
 port, and bade them hasten home, arm them 
 selves, and reassemble in a certain locality out 
 side the western gate. Then they all took their 
 leave. 
 
 It was near the eleventh hour. The night 
 was beautiful and clear. The moon, now in its 
 full, was just rising above the hills that 
 bounded the view to the eastward of the city, 
 when Nahum and Harim accompanied by Her- 
 mione, who, on leaving the supper- table, about 
 an hour before, had taken a most affectionate 
 leave of her father, who somewhat wondered 
 thereat, as he of course expected to see her 
 again the next morning, and Tamar, both 
 dressed as pages of the royal household 
 stood before Ackbar in front of the western 
 gate. That official, who was well acquainted 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 89 
 
 with our friends, at once opened the massive 
 portal and let the four wanderers out. 
 
 Once out of the city, the fugitives directed their 
 steps toward a small copse of oaks and cedars, 
 where they were quickly joined by Lamech, 
 who informed them that Mordecai, with twenty- 
 five of their best men, was stationed not a 
 stone's throw off, completely concealed by the 
 shrubbery, where they would halt until assured 
 that the fugitives were not pursued, and then 
 they would follow and soon join them. 
 
 Our party now hastened on, and, when they 
 came in sight of Mordecai's dwelling, they re 
 solved to stop and await their friends. 
 
 Abimelech and his companions had gone home 
 and armed themselves, whereupon they left the 
 city and assembled in the place chosen for the 
 rendezvous. Here they refreshed themselves with 
 copious draughts of sweet wine, and then went 
 forth to reconnoitre. Ere long they beheld our 
 fugitives, and by the light of the clear-shining 
 moon they had no difficulty in recognizing in 
 the two leaders of the party the detested Jews 
 Nahum and Harim. All at once Abimelech 
 gave a violent start and convulsively grasped 
 
 8* 
 
90 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the arm of his nearest follower ; for in one of 
 the seeming pages he had recognized the now 
 unveiled features of Hermione. 
 
 " Hell and furies !" he gasped ; " look here ! 
 Dost behold that face ? By all the fiends, it is 
 she, my affianced, led away by that accursed 
 villain !" 
 
 He was quite overcome by rage and morti 
 fication ; but soon he rallied, and, turning to his 
 companions, he continued, 
 
 " Now, my friends, now is the time for action ! 
 now we will annihilate those dastardly enemies 
 of our nation ! Stand by me, and my royal favors 
 shall be granted to all who help me. Half of you 
 turn to the left and by a quick march head them 
 off, while I with the rest will cut off their retreat. 
 Be quick and silent, now, and the day will soon 
 be ours ; and hearken : as soon as my hands 
 hold the sceptre of this kingdom, no favor shall 
 be too great, but cheerfully will I grant it to 
 each of you. 
 
 " Yes," he continued, in a lower tone from be 
 tween his clenched teeth, " yes, my royal bride, 
 you will yet be mine, and your promise that 
 to-morrow I am to receive the reward of my 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 91 
 
 constancy will yet be fulfilled. But beware, my 
 coy dove ! All the pangs I have suffered at thy 
 hands will be revisited on thy head; and the 
 memory of that Jewish dog I will make one of 
 anguish and torture to thee, ay, if I must tear 
 your very heart out of your bosom !" 
 
 But the departure of the one-half of his friends 
 soon turned his thoughts in another direction ; 
 and, not entertaining the least doubt that the 
 capture of the fugitives would be an easy affair 
 for them, he could hardly await the signal for 
 moving on. 
 
 Meantime our wanderers had come to a halt, as 
 we have seen before, to await old Mordecai ; and, 
 on suddenly perceiving a party of men emerging 
 into the path before them, they went on, believ 
 ing these men to be their friends. Scarcely had 
 they begun to move forward, when a shrill 
 whistle, sounded by the party in front, fell on 
 their ears, and a moment later the signal was 
 answered by an exultant cry in their rear. Still 
 they doubted not that the men they saw were 
 really their friends ; and Nahum and Harim, pre 
 ceded by Lamech in charge of the two maidens, 
 pushed on, until the youth who, sharing the be- 
 
92 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 lief of his brother and cousin, had turned his 
 whole attention to the disguised females all at 
 once raised his eyes and recognized in the party 
 before him their mortal foes. 
 
 With the quickness of thought he turned and 
 informed Nahum of what he had seen; but 
 scarcely had he done so, when the party in the 
 rear came up, and Abimelech, his features con 
 torted with rage and malignity, stood face to 
 face with his rival. 
 
 So unexpectedly had their enemies come upon 
 them, and so certain had they felt of their secu 
 rity, now that they had come in full view of 
 their destination, that at first our two heroes 
 were quite at a loss ; but Lamech soon recalled 
 them to a sense of their situation, and in a 
 whisper informed them that a firm resistance on 
 their part would soon turn the scale in their 
 favor, as the old gardener and his friends could 
 not be far away. 
 
 The moon was now completely risen, and in 
 all her splendor illuminated the scene below. 
 The place where the parties had met was a 
 gentle eminence, surrounded on three sides by 
 low shrubbery, here and there interspersed with 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 93 
 
 a stout oak or a towering cedar, while in front 
 and a little farther on could be seen the garden 
 and dwelling of old Mordecai. 
 
 Our fugitives were now surrounded on all 
 sides ; and while Hermione, who had been the 
 first to recognise her hated cousin, lay half faint 
 ing in the arms of her faithful Tamar, Nahum 
 and Harim prepared for a determined resist 
 ance. 
 
 " Dog of a Jew !" Abimelech hissed, " now 
 thy impudence has reached its climax; but, by 
 all hades, thy race is run ! I could smite thee 
 with one stroke of my good blade ; but I will 
 preserve thee, ay, preserve thee dost hear ? for 
 a fate worse than ten thousand deaths. And 
 yonder maiden, whom thou hast dared to pollute 
 with thy touch, I will wring her heart until the 
 memory of thee and thy accursed race shall be 
 one of anguish and torture. 
 , " Ho, there, my friends ! to your work ! But 
 hear ! slay not these miserable wretches ; for I 
 would preserve them, to wrest from them their 
 secrets, preserve them for my own especial plea 
 sure. But disarm and bind them; and, above 
 
94 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 all, secure the two pages. One of them I claim 
 as my own ; the other I give up to you." 
 
 With this he rushed forward, vainly ima 
 gining that the superior number of his followers 
 would awe the fugitives into quick submission. 
 But in this he soon found himself sadly mis 
 taken; as Nahum, Harim, and Lamech were 
 well armed, and stood like so many rocks, frus 
 trating all attempts to overthrow them. 
 
 Three times already were the assailing party 
 driven back with many a smart blow, and some 
 of Abimelech's followers began loudly to refuse 
 their help in a further attempt to take the 
 Israelites alive; when their leader, driven to 
 desperation, snatched the senseless form of Her- 
 mione and bade his friends slay those whom they 
 could not secure otherwise. 
 
 Yain order ! ay, and the last ever uttered by 
 the haughty Abimelech ; for no sooner did Na- 
 hum behold his beloved in the grasp of his de 
 tested rival than he felt the strength of a lion 
 in his arms, and with one stroke of his stout 
 sword he cleft his enemy in twain. The rest, 
 when they saw the terrible fate of their leader, 
 took to their heels. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 95 
 
 But at that moment Mordecai and his men 
 emerged from the shrubbery; and of the four 
 teen who had followed Abimelech in pursuit of 
 the fugitive Israelites not one returned to the 
 city. 
 
 When the work was done, Mordecai joined 
 his nephews, and, after warmly shaking their 
 hands, he told them that he with his followers 
 had been concealed in the shrubbery near at 
 hand, and that they had seen all that passed. 
 
 " But," he continued, " I saw there were only 
 fifteen in pursuit, and I knew that they were 
 pursuing two scions of the royal house of Jehu. 
 We could easily have come forward and anni 
 hilated those weak and cowardly Assyrians, but 
 I disdained such a course; and, moreover, I 
 wanted to give you an opportunity to try the 
 strength of your arms, to regain the confidence 
 in yourself which you might have lost in your 
 captivity ; for of all manly virtues self-reliance 
 is the greatest. 
 
 " But for the worst we had prepared. Lamech 
 had been instructed, in case of real danger, to 
 give a signal ; on hearing which we should have 
 been with you before any harm could have been 
 
90 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 done. But, noble youth as he is, he did not 
 want our help while there was a prospect of 
 doing without it ; and the result of the engage 
 ment has shown that he was right in his calcu 
 lation. 
 
 " But now," the old man added, " let us for 
 ward without further delay, while I shall order 
 some of our trusty companions to carry the corpses 
 of our slain enemies to the opposite side of the 
 city, so as to lead their friends to the belief that 
 this work has been done by the robbers who in 
 fest the northern outskirts of Nineveh." 
 
 In the mean time, Hermione had regained her 
 senses, and, before any of her friends were aware 
 of it, or had had time to remove the ghastly 
 corpses out of sight, she stood among them, tall 
 and erect, her loose hair flying in the night-breeze, 
 the very impersonation of a revenging Nemesis. 
 
 Anon her gaze fell upon the prostrate form of 
 her slain cousin, while, on raising her eyes, she 
 beheld the venerable form of Mordecai ; and, with 
 the startling cry, "Oh! my dream! my dream!" 
 she sank into the outstretched arms of her faith 
 ful lover. But joy never kills : it very seldom 
 even makes one faint; and so Hermione was not 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 97 
 
 killed, she had not even fainted, but only in the 
 exuberance of her feelings had she sunk on 
 Nahum's stout bosom. She was soon brought 
 to a full sense of her situation; and thereupon 
 the party resumed their march, after fifteen of 
 Mordecai's followers had been ordered to remove 
 all traces of the recent conflict. 
 
 In a short time, and without any further dis 
 turbance, they reached the old gardener's cot, 
 and in about an hour afterward they were 
 rejoined by their friends, who informed them 
 that the corpses of the slain had been removed 
 as ordered, and that all traces of the conflict had 
 been obliterated so completely as to be unob- 
 servable by the closest scrutiny. 
 
 Old Mordecai then opened the secret trap 
 door, and the entire party descended to the sub 
 terranean chambers, leaving the cot and its sur 
 roundings shrouded in quiet and darkness. It 
 I was now about three hours after midnight, and, 
 ! as all the men as well as the maidens were well 
 I tired out, they resolved not to disturb the in- 
 1 habitants of the vault, but to lie down and pre 
 pare themselves by a short rest for the work 
 yet before them. 
 
THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE DAY AFTER THE FLIGHT. 
 
 WE left our friends the fugitive Israelites in 
 their subterranean chambers, preparing to rest, 
 where we will leave them for the present, and 
 now, with returning dawn, hasten back to Nine 
 veh, to notice the effect of the events narrated 
 in our last chapter, upon the inhabitants of the 
 royal city. 
 
 The sun had risen in his usual splendor, and 
 the streets of Nineveh began to show signs of 
 returning animation. But in the bustling throng 
 there seemed something wanting. Here and 
 there one encountered closed-up stalls and other 
 places of business; while many a wandering 
 glance seemed to inquire why certain labors, 
 which evidently were assigned to a poorer and 
 more despised class of menials, were not being 
 performed. 
 
 In the king's household all was utter per 
 plexity. The various cooks and servants stood 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 99 
 
 idling around their several office s, not knowing 
 what to do. 
 
 The hour at which the monarch would arise 
 and take his morning meal drew nigh; while 
 several of the higher officers passed and repassed 
 the kitchen-door, sending longing glances at the 
 glowing hearths, and loudly grumbling about 
 their breakfast not being served. 
 
 But no appetizing flavor of roast or stew 
 emerged from the kitchen; and it appeared as if 
 the day was devoted to a total abstinence from 
 animal food. More than a dozen messengers 
 had been sent to the head steward's room for 
 orders ; but they had found the door locked, and 
 had been unable to make themselves heard by 
 the supposed sleeper; and, as Harim was 
 known to be an especial favorite of the king and 
 his daughter, all were afraid to provoke his 
 anger by louder demonstrations. But deep and 
 bitter were the curses muttered against the 
 steward and the favor in which he stood with 
 his royal master and mistress. 
 
 At length the king sent for his chamberlain; 
 and now they could wait no longer. Once more 
 they knocked loudly at the closed door, and 
 
100 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 then, not receiving any answer, they burst it 
 open, when, lo ! the room was found to be empty 
 and showing unmistakable signs of not having 
 been occupied all night. 
 
 Great now became the consternation and 
 excitement ; but the wish for something to for 
 tify the inner man prevailed, and, in the bustle 
 of hasty preparation, the mysterious disappear 
 ance of the head steward was for the while for 
 gotten. 
 
 The same consternation prevailed in Alman- 
 zor's stables. The horses loudly clamored for 
 their oats, while the under grooms stood idling 
 and wondering at Nahum's absence. But here, 
 too, the disappearance of the head groom was at 
 length discovered : yet the steeds could wait no 
 longer for their morning meal ; and therefore here 
 also the affair was for the while forgotten. 
 
 It was yet early in the morning; and therefore 
 the absence of Abimelech and his friends had 
 not yet been discovered, as these gentlemen did 
 not belong to the class of early risers. 
 
 But with advancing day the perplexity in 
 creased. Public officials began to inquire about 
 the not-performed public labors. Masters made 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 101 
 
 search for their missing slaves; while those who 
 were accustomed to deal with the few free Is 
 raelites, most of whom were engaged in traffic 
 with small wares, &c., loudly expressed their 
 wonder at their non-appearance. 
 
 In the now well-filled rooms of the "jolly 
 Pancratius" all was consternation and excite 
 ment. 
 
 For the twenty-fifth time, mine host was re 
 lating to a crowd of eager listeners how on the 
 previous night Abimelech and fourteen of his 
 friends had been assembled in that very room, 
 and, after a good deal of discussion, of which he, 
 Pancratius, had not understood any thing be 
 yond that all the talk had been about the Jew 
 Nahum and the king's daughter, they had left 
 to arm themselves and to reassemble at a certain 
 public house outside the western gate; how he 
 had seen none of them since, although he had 
 kept his house open all night, according to their 
 own wish; and how he therefore feared that 
 they had not returned. 
 
 Every new arrival augmented the consterna 
 tion, for as yet none had appeared who knew 
 more than the others. Whenever the door 
 
 9* 
 
102 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 opened to admit a new-comer, they all would 
 rush forward, and all at the same time exclaim, 
 in eager tones, 
 
 " What news? Have you seen Abimelech?" 
 
 No." 
 
 " Did you hear any thing of young Haman ?" 
 
 " No." 
 
 " Has Mardeck made his appearance ?" 
 
 No." 
 
 " Any news at all of any of the missing fif 
 teen?" 
 
 No." 
 
 And "no" it was throughout the whole cata 
 logue. No one had seen or heard of Abimelech 
 or any of his companions. It passed all com 
 prehension. 
 
 At length a young man whose dress and 
 bearing bespoke him one of the higher class, and 
 who was known by his friends as "the prince," 
 made his appearance, and, with looks and tones 
 full of mystery, informed the assembled throng 
 that just now the flight of Harim, Nahum, the 
 king's daughter Hermione, her maid the lovely 
 Tamar, and a host of other captive Israelites, 
 had been discovered. " They have been followed," 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 103 
 
 he added, "by a party of armed troopers ; but no 
 clew to their whereabouts has as yet been dis 
 covered, save that the cottage of the old Jewish 
 gardener has been found abandoned and burnt 
 to the ground. But one thing besides our troop 
 ers have seen; namely, the footprints of a large 
 body of men in a northerly direction; and, as it 
 is known that Abimelech and fourteen of his 
 friends left the western gate between the ninth 
 and tenth hour last night, it is supposed that 
 they followed the fugitives, as some of the 
 footprints in the same direction, judging by the 
 delicate and fashionable finish of the sandals, 
 seem to be made by the former ; and, if such 
 is the case, we may perhaps soon hear of them. 
 One thing only puzzles everybody. You all 
 know that for some time the northern outskirts 
 of the city have been infested by a large band 
 of robbers, and therefore it is not at all impos 
 sible that the fugitives as well as Abimelech's 
 party have fallen in with them, in which case it 
 is probable that all have been slain or captured. 
 But another party of mounted soldiers has been 
 sent in the direction indicated; and, whatever 
 may have been the fate of Abimelech and his 
 
104 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 friends, we shall most likely soon know all about 
 it. The king is nearly frantic at the disappear 
 ance of his daughter, and has offered a large re 
 ward for her recapture; wherefore I do not 
 doubt that we shall soon have the fugitives back 
 again, if they have not been already slain; for 
 nothing stimulates officials and hirelings to such 
 exertions as the hope of being well rewarded. 
 
 " Should Abimelech liberate Hermione and 
 bring her safely back, then will he indeed be 
 fortunate; for Shalmenezer solemnly declares 
 that in that event the two shall be united with 
 out further delay, and Abimelech will surely 
 succeed to the throne. 
 
 "And, furthermore, this flight of the Israelites 
 and their ingratitude to the king, who has done 
 so much for them, have turned our ruler's former 
 good will toward them into such deadly hatred, 
 that he will readily listen to and accept the 
 advice of his son-in-law to sweep the cursed 
 race out of existence. 
 
 "But who comes here? News, news, my 
 friends ! It is Tareck, who was with the second 
 party, sent, under command of Sennacherib, to 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 105 
 
 pursue the fugitives, and who therefore can give 
 us the desired information. 
 
 " Hail, Tareck ! well met ! Ho, Pancrace ! 
 A brimming tankard of thy best !" 
 
 The friends had shaken hands; but, on his 
 inquiring gaze now encountering that of Tareck, 
 the prince suddenly relaxed his hold, and, in 
 startling tones, exclaimed, 
 
 "What, in the name of all the gods, is the 
 matter? Thou lookest as if thou hadst seen 
 a ghost ! Speak ! What ails thee ?" 
 
 But Tareck did not speak. He seized the 
 tankard brought by mine host, and at one 
 draught swallowed its contents: then, in a 
 solemn and trembling tone, he said, 
 
 " Our friends are dead, slain like dogs ! while 
 Abimelech is cut in twain ! 
 
 "The place where the dead bodies were 
 found," he continued, " shows all the signs of a 
 conflict, while the footprints in the soft ground 
 indicate that a strong party must have been 
 engaged. 
 
 " But I cannot believe that the fugitive Israel 
 ites have done this work. It is a well-known 
 fact that the northern outskirts of the city are 
 
106 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 infested by a strong band of robbers ; and I be 
 lieve that in pursuing the fugitives Abimelech 
 has fallen in with the desperadoes; for I cannot 
 for one moment entertain the thought that the 
 unarmed and weak sons of Israel should have 
 been able to overcome and slay a force so well 
 armed and disciplined as our fifteen friends un 
 doubtedly were. 
 
 " But the strangest part of the affair is, that, 
 although the ground consists for miles around 
 of the same soft substance, no traces could be 
 discovered either back from or beyond the scene 
 of action.'* 
 
 And so it was. 
 
 When the fifteen men ordered by Mordecai 
 to remove the dead bodies left their friends, 
 to perform their work, they went as far as 
 they could through the shrubbery, where they 
 were sure that their feet would not leave any 
 traces in the soil, while they moved on with 
 such caution as not even to displace a single 
 twig or bough ; and when they had gone far 
 enough in that manner to be certain that 
 the direction whence they had come could not 
 be perceived, they moved out upon softer soil, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 107 
 
 where they purposely let their feet sink deep 
 into the ground; and, not satisfied with this, 
 each man left as many prints as he possibly 
 could, and they even put the dead on their feet 
 and caused them to leave their traces, which 
 might easily be discovered by any pursuers, 
 until they came to a spot that seemed fit for 
 depositing their burdens. Here they jumped 
 and stamped about for some time, they tussled 
 with each other, to make it appear as if a 
 sharp conflict had taken place, and then they 
 left the bodies in such positions as to appear as 
 if they had been slain there. 
 
 After every thing had been arranged to their 
 satisfaction, the Israelites threw themselves on 
 their bellies, and, snakelike, moved back to 
 the shrubbery without leaving a single back- 
 ; ward footprint. On arriving opposite the west 
 ern gate, they soon found themselves on the 
 tracks made by Nahum, his companions, and 
 their pursuers, which they succeeded in ob 
 literating so completely that nothing was dis 
 covered by the parties sent after them the 
 next day, as has been seen by the various re 
 ports. 
 
108 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 "When I had seen all this," Tareck con 
 cluded, " I stood rooted to the spot ; and, bewil 
 dered by the spectacle before me, and not know 
 ing what I was doing, I turned my horse's head 
 and galloped back to the city. 
 
 "But now let us out into the street, for 
 Sennacherib and his soldiers will soon return 
 with the remains of our friends." 
 
 The narrator had been listened to with 
 breathless anxiety, while every one in the room 
 seemed spell-bound and thunder-struck. 
 
 But when the report was finished, they all 
 arose, and, vowing deepest vengeance on the 
 murderers, whoever they might be, they simul 
 taneously rushed into the street, to add to 
 the din and confusion existing there. All 
 Nineveh was indeed now the scene of the 
 wildest excitement; but in the crowd there 
 were only a few who knew what it was about, 
 while no one was able to say what was to be 
 done. By this time Almanzor, with a host 
 of other high officers of the realm, who had 
 already been informed by Tareck of all that 
 had occurred, had appeared upon the scene. 
 All the soldiers in the city were under arms, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 109 
 
 bugles sounded and drums beat to quarter in 
 every direction, orderlies were seen to fly hither 
 and thither, the gates were closed, to guard 
 against any surprise, and, in fact, the city wore 
 the aspect of a besieged garrison. 
 
 After a little while, an officer, mounted on a 
 fiery coal-black charger, was seen to come from 
 a street leading to the northern gate and ap 
 proach the king's captain. A short consultation 
 ensued. Then Almanzor nodded his head, and, 
 surrounded by his staff and followed by his sol 
 diers in battle-array, he moved off in the direc 
 tion whence the messenger had come. 
 
 When the second party under command of 
 Sennacherib left the city, they went out of the 
 northern gate, and were not long in finding the 
 tracks made by the cunning Israelites for the 
 purpose of leading their pursuers astray. On 
 discovering the footprints the Assyrians uttered 
 an exultant shout and impetuously dashed for 
 ward, not doubting that they soon would over 
 take the fugitives. 
 
 But when they at length reached the spot where 
 the corpses of Abimelech and his followers 
 were deposited, their exultation was soon 
 
 10 
 
110 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 checked, and, horror-stricken, they gazed on 
 the scene before them. 
 
 The sight which presented itself was indeed 
 one to strike awe into the stoutest heart. 
 
 Fourteen corpses, the faces turned up to the 
 sun, were ranged side by side, a deep gash about 
 three inches long, and alike in every forehead, 
 showing the way by which the soul had left its 
 late abode; while the two halves of Abimelech 
 were placed at the head of the ghastly column. 
 
 But the shock the soldiers had felt on first 
 beholding the revolting spectacle soon passed 
 away, and terrible were the curses and deep 
 the vows of revenge hurled after the murderers. 
 Then they all set to work to discover the route 
 these had taken after finishing their bloody 
 work ; but, behold ! no traces were to be found 
 beyond or back from that terrible spot. How 
 had they got away? Had the earth swallowed 
 them, or had they been raised up into the air ? 
 It was altogether unaccountable. 
 
 There must have been some supernatural 
 power at work. Yes, there was no doubt that 
 the murderers must be leagued with either God 
 or the devil! And thus the terror the Assy- 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. Ill 
 
 rians had felt on beholding the fate of their 
 countrymen returned, and was fearfully aug 
 mented, until all the soldiers fairly trembled 
 with superstitious fear, and, gathering up the 
 remains of their slain friends, they madly 
 hastened back toward the city. 
 
 Almanzor and his followers had meantime 
 arrived at the gate, which now was thrown 
 open, and in strode Sennacherib, followed by his 
 troopers bearing the sad remains of the king's 
 cousin and his companions, which, after having 
 been carried through the principal streets of 
 Nineveh, were deposited in their family sepul 
 chres. Then the soldiers dispersed, to tell their 
 tales of terror, and succeeded so well in impart 
 ing their own superstitious fears to the rest of 
 their comrades, as well as to their fellow-citizens, 
 that all began to tremble with apprehensions 
 of some impending calamity. 
 
 The watches at the several gates were 
 doubled; some of the inhabitants rushed into 
 their temples to invoke the help of their gods ; 
 while not one was to be found that would have 
 been brave enough to leave the city, at least 
 on that day, for fear of some impending doom ; 
 
112 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 and so the efforts of the Israelites to give their 
 flight and the subsequent occurrences the most 
 mysterious appearance had produced the desired 
 effect. 
 
 We now leave Nineveh and its inhabitants to 
 recover at leisure from their terror, while we re 
 turn to our friends in the subterranean vaults. 
 
 After the last of the fugitives had retired to 
 rest, and when all was quiet, Mordecai arose 
 again; and, not feeling quite secure as long as 
 there remained a possibility of their retreat 
 being discovered, he paced the room in silent 
 sorrow. 
 
 At last an idea seemed to strike him; for his 
 pace became more animated, and, lighting a 
 small torch, he proceeded to the often-mentioned 
 trap-door. This he lifted by means of a se 
 creted lever, and went up into the cot. Here 
 all was now bleak and bare, every useful article 
 having been removed on board the vessel. The 
 old man went out to the rear of the building, 
 where he gathered a heap of leaves and dry 
 wood: this he placed around the trap-door in 
 such a manner that, on being set on fire and 
 burned, the ashes and cinders must fall on the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 113 
 
 stone slab, thus covering all crevices and com 
 pletely hiding the entrance. Then he set fire 
 to the leaves and returned to the vault, drawing 
 the heavy stone after him. 
 
 In the dry leaves the flame soon spread. 
 Higher and higher it rose, steadily, majestically; 
 now it reached the wooden walls, then the ceil 
 ing, up, up; at last the devouring element seized 
 on the roof, and anon the entire structure was en 
 veloped in one bright sea of flame, illuminating 
 the country for miles around. Had there been 
 any one awake in Nineveh, the conflagration 
 must have been seen ; but the unusual stir and 
 excitement of the day had produced uncommon 
 fatigue, and irresistible drowsiness had closed 
 every eye; and so the flames raged on, unno 
 ticed, uncared for. 
 
 But the object of Mordecai was gained : the 
 cot fell with a crash, its ruins completely oblite 
 rating all traces of any underground habitation. 
 
 The old man had heard the fall of his late 
 dwelling, and it filled his soul with joy and con 
 fidence. He sank down on his knees, to com 
 mune with his Maker, the God of his people : 
 
 then he lay down, and soon was buried in sleep. 
 H 10* 
 
114 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 The sun was high in the heavens when the 
 sleepers awoke, and, much refreshed, they arose 
 to begin the work before them. 
 
 But first the maidens were introduced to the 
 assembled Israelites; and great were the re 
 joicings of all at their safe deliverance thus 
 far. 
 
 Then Mordecai sank on his knees, followed 
 by every one present, and, raising his aged hands 
 on high, he prayed. He thanked Jehovah for 
 his great goodness and mercy, he invoked the 
 divine blessing on their perilous undertaking, 
 and then he arose and blessed his hearers. 
 
 Next he took Nahum and Harim by the hand, 
 and, presenting them to the multitude, said, in 
 a deep and solemn voice, 
 
 " Children, I thank you for the love shown to 
 me thus far. I thank you for the confidence, the 
 willingness, and the obedience with which you 
 have followed me under all circumstances, with 
 which you have executed all my commands. 
 
 " I need not repeat to you that all I have said 
 and done has been for your own good : you have 
 shown that you always have felt this to be so. 
 Fain would I continue to be your guide and 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 115 
 
 commander; but I am getting old and feeble. 
 The weight of threescore and ten years is quite 
 enough to unfit a man for a situation of such re 
 sponsibility as the leadership in an undertaking 
 like ours. I have therefore resolved to throw 
 the burden of this responsibility on younger 
 shoulders. 
 
 " In these my two noble and beloved nephews 
 you behold two scions of the royal house of Jehu. 
 
 " He on my right, our esteemed friend Nahum, 
 would in all probability have been now our king 
 had we not lost our independence ; and only last 
 night, when he slew the cruel enemy of our race 
 at the head of fourteen armed men, he showed 
 himself worthy to be our leader. Him do I there 
 fore appoint my successor; and with this kiss 
 do I anoint him your chief. 
 
 " He on my left, our noble son and brother 
 Harim, has in every respect and under all cir 
 cumstances shown himself the true and devoted 
 friend of his countrymen ; and he too proved last 
 night, when in company with Nahum and La- 
 mech he stood like a rock against fearful odds, 
 that he is to be trusted. Him do I name Na- 
 
116 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 hum's chief assistant, and him also do I thus 
 anoint with the kiss of love. 
 
 " Men of Israel, behold your leaders. Love, 
 honor, and obey them. 
 
 "But I too shall remain among you. In all 
 cases, under all circumstances, shall iny counsel 
 and advice cheerfully be yours ; and, though old 
 and feeble, supported by the strong arms of your 
 leaders, I shall accompany you to the promised 
 land ; and in the hour of need will my voice be 
 heard for the salvation of Israel." 
 
 He ceased. The Israelites arose, and one 
 simultaneous shout of exultation burst from 
 every mouth. 
 
 "Nahum and Hermione !" "Harim and Ta- 
 mar!" Cheer upon cheer reverberated through 
 the subterranean vaults, and echo threw them 
 back as with ten thousand tongues. 
 
 Old Mordecai was not cheered ; but, with beam 
 ing eyes, every one went up to where he stood. 
 They took his wrinkled hands and carried them 
 to their lips, while tears of love and gratitude 
 rolled down their swarthy cheeks and spoke 
 louder than words the feelings of their bosoms. 
 
 But at length the tumult was over, and the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 117 
 
 men went to work. The vessel had received 
 the finishing-touches on the day before, and 
 now the last provisions were carried on board, 
 while the women set to work to prepare the 
 sleeping-apartments and the beds of dry leaves 
 and moss. Then the men began to break down 
 the wall that separated them from the river; and 
 at the sixth hour after noon all was accomplished, 
 except the liberation of the prisoners and the re 
 moval of the vessel. 
 
 As all now were for a time at leisure, Nahum, 
 Hermione, Harim, and Tamar went to old Mor- 
 decai and craved his blessing to their union, 
 which of course was cheerfully granted, and 
 preparations were at once made for the cele 
 bration of the nuptials. It was a cheering sight 
 to see the two late captives and menials, but 
 now the chosen leaders of a brave and deter 
 mined people, in the full bloom of manhood, 
 with their beautiful brides, one of whom was 
 the only daughter of a noble king, standing 
 before the old man, who officiated as high -priest 
 on the occasion. When the important question 
 was asked, " Will you take these men for your 
 lawfully wedded husbands? will you love, 
 
 
118 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 honor, and obey them to the end of your days ?" 
 a loud, fervent, and cheerful " Yes" was answered 
 by the maidens ; and, according to the beautiful 
 custom of the Israelites, a stout glass was raised 
 on high and then dashed to the floor, where it 
 was shattered in ten thousand splinters, thereby 
 indicating that, as the several parts of the glass 
 could not be severed but by the breaking of the 
 vessel, so the tie that bound the two hearts could 
 not be dissolved until death should destroy it. 
 
 The ceremony over, the young husbands drew 
 their wives to their bosoms and sealed the con 
 tract with a fervent kiss. Then the entire party 
 sat down to a frugal banquet ; and, although the 
 meal consisted of but rough fare, a more joy 
 ous and happy wedding has seldom been wit 
 nessed. 
 
 At length the hour of midnight drew nigh and 
 admonished the revellers that the time for their 
 last work in the vault was approaching. They 
 therefore arose, saw that every thing was in 
 its place, and Mordecai, with six men, went to 
 liberate the prisoners. They provided them 
 selves with flaming torches, went to the first 
 vault, and with their united strength raised the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN". 119 
 
 trap-door which led to the outer world, and 
 which they left wide open. 
 
 Then they proceeded to the room of Bareck 
 and his three men, and, after ascertaining that 
 all four were sound asleep, they unlocked the 
 door and then hastened back, after first breaking 
 off the iron knob which connected with the 
 spring that held the stone slab in one of the 
 walls separating the two underground apart 
 ments. They then carefully and securely put 
 the stone back in the aperture, until the click of 
 the spring told them that communication with 
 the chamber in which they and their friends 
 were was beyond the power of any human being 
 in the first vault, unless by breaking the wall. 
 
 They now went on board their vessel, where 
 all the others were already assembled, thus 
 leaving their late prisoners, the four Assyrians, 
 free to find their w r ay back to Nineveh as best 
 they might. 
 
 By this time the tide was beginning to come 
 in, and ere another half-hour had passed it was 
 at its height. The rocking of the vessel now 
 indicated that it was afloat; and, under the 
 direction of Mordecai, four of the stoutest men 
 
120 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 were put on the benches constructed for that 
 purpose, and set to working the oars. 
 
 The vessel began to move forward. A few 
 strong pulls, and the fugitive Israelites were in 
 the middle of the river Tigris. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 121 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 DEPARTURE AND JOURNEY. 
 
 WITH the foresight that had thus far cha 
 racterized all his undertakings, old Mordecai 
 had for some time applied himself to the study 
 of the system of the heavenly bodies ; and by 
 attentive observations he had succeeded in 
 
 ; acquiring a fair knowledge of astronomy. But 
 this was not all. He had at the same time 
 become acquainted with the regularly-recurring 
 
 j tides of ebb and flood. With what certainty 
 he was able to foretell the flood tide at mid 
 night has already been seen; but he was just 
 as certain of the fact that this tide would only 
 last a stated time, after which it would return 
 whence it had come, and thus aid the rowers 
 materially in propelling the vessel. And that 
 the river Tigris emptied into a larger expanse 
 of waters had long been known to him, as he 
 also had no doubt that this larger expanse of 
 
 water must be bounded somewhere by land. 
 
 11 
 
122 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 The oppression of the Israelites while in As 
 syrian captivity had been such that even death 
 was preferable; and therefore it was only a 
 question of time whether they should succeed in 
 reaching a land where they might once more 
 be free and happy, or whether they should 
 perish on the frail structure they had now so 
 happily succeeded in safely launching into the 
 river. Worse than their condition had been in 
 the country they were now about to leave it 
 could not well become ; and, if we take into ac 
 count the unbounded confidence in divine pro 
 vidence that had now so firmly taken possession 
 of Mordecai's heart, it is not at all surprising 
 that he should have put implicit belief in his 
 dream as sent by Jehovah to indicate the means 
 by which he might break the chains of his 
 unfortunate countrymen, what it undoubtedly 
 was. 
 
 But to return to the vessel. It had safely been 
 brought out of the cavern into the middle of the 
 river Tigris, and now the rowers applied all their 
 strength in propelling the vessel down the stream, 
 a task in which they succeeded beyond their 
 most sanguine expectation; and, when at last 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 123 
 
 the tide began to set backward, the vessel fairly 
 shot through the water like an arrow. 
 
 When the day returned, they were far beyond 
 Nineveh, and thus far had not been seen by any 
 mortal eye. We now must go back for a short 
 time to the cavern left by the fugitives, to see 
 what had become of Bareck and his companions. 
 When they awoke the next morning, they were 
 somewhat surprised by the deep stillness, that 
 was not broken by the slightest sound ; and when 
 some two or three hours had passed without 
 their morning meal having been brought, they 
 became somewhat alarmed, fearing that by some 
 means or other their captors might have been 
 induced to leave the cavern and had left them 
 behind to perish by starvation. 
 
 But, before resigning themselves to their fate, 
 they would at least make one attempt to libe 
 rate themselves, and therefore went to the door 
 of their room to try its strength. But judge 
 of their surprise when it yielded to the first 
 gentle pressure and they found themselves in 
 the outer cavern ! Here all was silent as the 
 grave, and nobody impeded their progress. After 
 advancing a little farther, they saw a light 
 
124 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 streaming into the vault, which they soon per 
 ceived to come through the opened trap-door; 
 and in a short time they stood once more in the 
 free air. Here they marvelled for some time 
 at the charred ruins and the devastation that 
 met their eyes, and then they hastened, as quick 
 as their feet would carry them, back to Nineveh. 
 As it was yet very early, they did not meet any 
 body on their road, and found the gate of the 
 city still locked. Three loud raps on the pon 
 derous portal quickly brought the sentinel on 
 duty on the inner side to the small wicket con 
 structed in a side door. But, when the man 
 saw the faces of his captain and of his three 
 comrades, he started back as if he had seen a 
 ghost, and it was some time before he recovered 
 from his sudden fright so far as to summon the 
 lieutenant of the guard, whom he informed of 
 what he had seen, and who then, at the head of 
 his entire force, had the gate opened, when Ba- 
 reck, with his three followers, strode in and was 
 welcomed back by his men. Mutual explana 
 tions between captain and lieutenant, as well as 
 between the reunited guardsmen, soon followed; 
 and great was Bareck's surprise on hearing of 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 125 
 
 the mysterious and terrible fate of Abimelech 
 and his friends. 
 
 But he had no doubt as to the perpetrators 
 of the bloody deed; for, on the night of the occur 
 rence related to him, he had been awake when 
 the last fugitives, with the king's daughter and 
 her maid in their midst, had entered the cavern, 
 and, gluing his ear to the key-hole of his prison- 
 door, he had overheard enough of their conversa 
 tion to understand that something of moment 
 must have happened. 
 
 He now at once left his lieutenant and 
 hastened straight to the dwelling of the king's 
 captain and minister Almanzor, where his ap 
 pearance created as much surprise as it had oc- 
 j casioned at the gate ; and, upon intimating to the 
 officers in waiting that the communication he 
 had to make to their master was of the utmost 
 importance, he was at once shown into a private 
 room and his presence announced. 
 
 Almanzor was yet in bed when his chamber 
 lain entered the sleeping-apartment; but, on 
 hearing that Bareck had returned with commu 
 nications of importance, he at once arose, slipped 
 
 11* 
 
126 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 into a loose dressing-gown, and went down to 
 meet the captain of the guard. 
 
 The latter gave a detailed account of all that 
 had occurred to him since the night he had let 
 Harim and his friends out of the city-gate. "I 
 did not like the appearance of these men at 
 such an hour," he said, "particularly as I recog 
 nized in one of their companions, who was dis 
 guised as a lame beggar, the assistant of that 
 old gardener on the bank of the river. Had 
 their purpose been honest, why that disguise? 
 and I at once suspected treason against the 
 peace of our city, if not against the precious 
 lives of our gracious king and his minister, as 
 it was no secret that the Israelites did not re 
 gard us with very friendly looks. But, as the 
 head steward of the king's household exhibited 
 a royal passport, I had to let them pass, not 
 daring to risk the wrath of our ruler. Yet my 
 mistrust was so strong that I determined at once 
 to have the wanderers watched; and, when I had 
 been relieved by my lieutenant, I selected three 
 of my men and went straight to the cot of old 
 Mordecai, to see if my suspicions were founded. 
 On nearing the place, we fell into an ambush, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 127 
 
 and, after being overpowered by superior and 
 well-armed forces, we were brought to a subterra 
 nean vault beneath the hut." 
 
 Then he told of the number of men, women, 
 and children he had seen in the cavern, their 
 stores of arms and provisions, then of the con 
 versation he had overheard regarding Abimelech 
 and his friends, and finally of the disappearance 
 of the Israelites and his own escape. 
 
 Almanzor listened to the tale in silence and 
 growing surprise; but he could not doubt the 
 speaker, as much of what he related was already 
 known in the city. 
 
 That Abimelech had been killed by none but 
 the fugitives, he no longer doubted; and as, ac 
 cording to the statement of Bareck, the Israelites 
 could not have left their retreat earlier than the 
 previous night, he felt quite certain that there 
 would be no difficulty in overtaking them. He 
 therefore bade the captain wait, and hurried 
 back to his bedroom to dress himself. 
 
 In less than half an hour he returned, told 
 Bareck to follow him, and went straight to the 
 barracks of the troopers. Here he ordered the 
 bugle to be sounded for the instant appearance 
 
128 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 of the soldiers; then he sent one of them to his 
 stables for his fleetest charger, while another 
 one was brought out for the captain of the guard, 
 and, in a very short time after, Almanzor, at the 
 head of two hundred horsemen, and accompanied 
 by Bareck, dashed out of the eastern gate. They 
 first went to the site of the burnt cot. Here they 
 dismounted, and the king's captain, the captain 
 of the guard, and six men bearing torches, with 
 which they had provided themselves on leaving 
 the barracks and which they lighted at some 
 smouldering embers of the ruin, descended into 
 the subterranean chamber. On looking around, 
 they found this blank and empty : not a single 
 article of furniture, or any thing else, was to be 
 seen, while the room so lately occupied by the 
 four Assyrians remained in the same condition 
 as they had left it that morning. 
 
 Almanzor next went through the cavern, and 
 most minutely examined the floor and the walls ; 
 but nothing could be discovered. He passed 
 the revolving rock that closed up the entrance 
 to the second cavern; he even perceived the 
 hole where the rusty iron knob had been; but 
 the wall was rough and uneven, and there were 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 129 
 
 ' <~ 
 
 a great many more holes similar to that other 
 one, and so the spring escaped detection. 
 
 They then went back again to the open air 
 ; and carefully examined the ground around the 
 trap-door; but they could detect not a single 
 trace, besides those made by Bareck and his fol 
 lowers on their escape, and their own. Yet the 
 cot might have been burnt down after the escape 
 had been effected, and so covered all footprints 
 in the immediate vicinity. And therefore they 
 made a wide circuit, examining the ground with 
 closest attention; but all in vain: no trace could 
 be discovered for a mile around. Next they 
 went to the edge of the bank; but this was very 
 high, and hung far out over the river, so that 
 even the opening in the second cavern could not 
 be discovered from that side. And as the flow of 
 the river was very rapid in that spot, and as the 
 opposite bank was also very high and too steep 
 to admit of ascending it, it was quite out of the 
 question that the fugitives, with their women 
 and children, should have crossed over; and it 
 never for once came into Almanzor's mind to go 
 to the other side. 
 
 Disappointed and dissatisfied, the king's min- 
 i 
 
130 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 ister divided his forces into two equal parts, 
 and, putting the one under the command of Ba- 
 reck, while he himself led the other, he bade 
 the soldiers scour the country for miles around, 
 and, after four hours' diligent search, reassemble 
 at the cot to report the result. Stimulated by 
 the hope of reward that each man knew was 
 awaiting him if any thing should be discovered, 
 they all exerted themselves to the utmost to 
 find any trace ; but all to no purpose ; and at 
 the appointed time they all returned to the 
 ruin, each party having the same tale of "no 
 success" to tell. 
 
 Now they all returned to the city, to relate 
 what they had heard and seen, and to inform 
 the inhabitants of the mysterious and utter dis 
 appearance of the Israelites. 
 
 And here we will leave them, bidding them a 
 final adieu, while we mount that winged horse, 
 "thought," to gallop back to our friends the 
 fugitives, whom we left sailing undisturbed and 
 swiftly down the clear waters of the Tigris, 
 borne on by the receding tide. 
 
 After a little while the eastern horizon changed 
 from a deep dark to a light gray; then it grew 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 131 
 
 
 
 purple, and soon the first beams of the rising 
 sun gilded the earth. 
 
 The scene that presented itself to the gaze of 
 the travellers was as interesting as it was novel; 
 for, after they had sailed down for some distance, 
 the banks on both sides of the river receded, 
 making room for an almost endless plain, inter 
 spersed with towering hills and deep, shady 
 forests. Hermione, Tamar, and their husbands 
 stood on the fore part of the vessel, drinking in 
 the fresh morning air and enjoying the lovely 
 landscape, while the rest of their friends that 
 were not busy in other parts crowded the deck, 
 to let their eyes rest on the surrounding country. 
 i Then came the sense of being free once more, 
 to fill their souls with gratitude; and many a 
 silent but fervent prayer of thanksgiving as 
 cended on high. 
 
 Mordecai was still asleep ; for the excitement 
 and bustle of the last four-and-twenty hours had 
 exerted their due effect on the aged limbs of the 
 old man, and his followers were careful not to 
 disturb his slumbers. And so he slept on, the 
 sweet sleep of the just, while now and then some 
 pleasant dream seemed to visit his. couch ; for at 
 
132 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 short intervals a heavenly smile overspread his 
 face, and his lips parted as if in silent com 
 munion with some heavenly vision. 
 
 Meantime the rowers worked on, and the 
 vessel almost flew through the water. 
 
 From time to time the men on the benches 
 were relieved by their companions, every one 
 eager to contribute his share in the glorious 
 work. At length, when the sun indicated the 
 ninth hour of the morning, old Mordecai ap 
 peared among his friends, his countenance lit up 
 by happy smiles ; and they all eagerly crowded 
 around to greet their liberator and father. 
 
 The old man raised his right hand in response, 
 and then, without saying a word, he uncovered 
 his aged head, turned his face heavenward, and 
 prayed to Jehovah. 
 
 Then he blessed the multitude, and, covering 
 his head, he advanced, embraced Nahum and 
 Harim, and said, " Now, my children, I feel 
 almost young again. The last night's rest has 
 refreshed me wondrously, while most pleasant 
 dreams visited my pillow, and on angels' wings 
 bore my spirit to the land of promise. Yes, my 
 friends, more fortunate than our forefathers were 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 133 
 
 LA, Jf 
 
 under Moses and Aaron, we shall safely reach 
 our destination, and not one of our number will 
 die before setting his foot on the soil of that new 
 and glorious country. 
 
 " But what am I talking about ? I came here 
 to tell you that I felt the cravings of appetite, 
 and to invite you to our morning meal, which I 
 perceive you have not yet taken. 
 
 " Our daughters, wives, and sisters have pre 
 pared us a princely feast, to celebrate this the 
 first day of our freedom after our long captivity; 
 so let's down, to satisfy our stomachs." 
 
 They all went down ; for it was as Mordecai 
 had said. Out of respect to the good old man, 
 not one had dared to even speak of hunger before 
 their aged friend should arise to share their meal. 
 
 The repast was frugal, as usual, but bountiful 
 and well prepared, while the healthy appetite 
 and the unclouded happiness every one felt 
 served as the best and most stimulating spices. 
 
 Joy and contentment reigned supreme in that 
 room, and even Hermione, seated by the side of 
 her husband, experienced a thrill of pleasure 
 such as she had never felt in the costly-furnished 
 
 apartments of her royal father's palace. 
 
 12 
 
134 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 After the first cravings of hunger were ap 
 peased, a general conversation ensued, and then 
 Nahum expressed the wish to hear of the ex 
 ploits and adventures of Mordecai and his friends 
 on their journey from the interior to the cot of 
 the former. 
 
 But his uncle interrupted him. " Nay," said 
 he, "the time for long and idle talk has not 
 come. As yet we are not beyond all danger. 
 As yet we can see the banks of the river on each 
 side, and therefore are liable at any moment to 
 be seen. 
 
 " Before the Tigris empties its waters into the 
 sea it passes many a village and many a town. 
 And although, fortunately, none of the in 
 habitants possess the means to intercept our 
 vessel, yet to be seen might be dangerous never 
 theless. The different tribes that inhabit the 
 banks of the Tigris are firmly allied to Assyria, 
 and therefore they are no strangers to the fact 
 of the destruction of Samaria and our captivity. 
 They might recognize us, and suspect our in 
 tention, and their arrows might endanger our 
 lives, while heavier missiles which they could 
 send after us might prove fatal to our frail bark. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 135 
 
 " I told you that we should safely reach our 
 
 destination, and that not one of our number 
 
 | would perish before setting foot on the land of 
 
 ! promise. And that this will be so I do not for 
 
 I one moment doubt ; for Jehovah has given me 
 
 \ the promise in my last night's dream, when 
 
 j my guide of the voyage that I made in spirit, 
 
 reappeared to me. But it behooves us to do 
 
 our best to avoid all dangers that might beset 
 
 us on our road. I therefore would counsel you 
 
 to exert the utmost caution. Let our females 
 
 and children keep to the interior of the vessel, 
 
 and only come on deck when there is no danger 
 
 of being seen; while the men would also do 
 
 well by keeping out of sight as much as possible. 
 
 I should have had our morning meal set out in 
 
 the open air, instead of crowding you all in this 
 
 room, had I not feared the danger of exposure. 
 
 I And it would be well for us to form certain rules 
 
 j for the guidance of every one, at least until we 
 
 j leave this river ; for, once in the open sea, no 
 
 I human being can harm us." 
 
 Nahum now took up the word. He thanked 
 his uncle for his counsel. He commended the 
 
136 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 old man's wisdom; and he too saw the necessity 
 of adopting rules and regulations. 
 
 It was then resolved that not more than ten 
 men, besides the four rowers, should be allowed 
 on deck at any one time during the day, while 
 at night, when there was no danger of being 
 seen, every one might come up. 
 
 The different meals were divided into three 
 instalments, so as to avoid crowding the room 
 too much ; and a number of other rules of minor 
 import, and which do not concern the reader, 
 were adopted. The assembly then broke up. 
 Some remained where they were, while the 
 others went to their several rooms; and Mor- 
 decai, who, of course, was permitted to go 
 where and do what he saw fit, accompanied by 
 Nahum, Lamech, and some of their friends, 
 went on deck. Their first care was to have the 
 rowers relieved, and then they looked around 
 them. The tide had set in long ago; yet the 
 vessel, having been fairly set in motion, and 
 being well assisted by vigorous pulls of the four 
 oars, had lost little in speed. The atmosphere 
 was clear, and in the far distance our friends 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 137 
 
 beheld the dim outlines of a great city situated 
 on the right bank of the river. 
 
 Now the moment so much feared by Mor- 
 decai was arriving, and, spite his assurance and 
 bravery, the old man trembled for a moment. 
 The vessel had from the first been in the middle 
 of the river, and, the rowers working uniformly, 
 she had thus far kept the same route. But sud 
 denly a bird was seen flying straight toward 
 the ship, followed by a huge hawk ; and in its 
 fright the former flew full into the face of one 
 of the rowers. The suddenness of the blow 
 took the man by surprise, and for some minutes 
 his oar hung in the water, until the rower had 
 recovered from his fright. But the other men 
 worked on; and thus, the one side of the vessel 
 being worked only by one oar, (whose effect was 
 moreover greatly lessened by the other one 
 that hung in the water,) whereas the other side 
 was worked upon with the undiminished force 
 of two stout men, the ship changed her course, 
 and shot to one side of the river. Mordecai 
 had seen it all; and his soul was filled with joy. 
 It had shown him the means to guide the vessel 
 
 at will, and it was not long before he had a 
 
 12* 
 
138 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 rudder constructed on the same principle as his 
 oars, which, rude though it was, served his pur 
 pose to his entire satisfaction. 
 
 And so his principal fear was allayed. 
 
 By this time they had come near the city ; 
 but the river here was very wide, and, as the 
 old man guided his vessel as far as possible to 
 the opposite side, there was very little danger, 
 even if they should be seen and their purpose 
 known. And well was it for them that the 
 means for guiding the ship had so opportunely 
 come to their hands; for, on coming opposite the 
 city, their vessel was seen by some soldiers who 
 happened to be near the river, and, spite the 
 great distance, they had been recognized and 
 their purpose at once divined. A number of 
 arrows were sent after them, while some of the 
 soldiers took up heavy stones; but, as the 
 former missiles fell harmless into the water long 
 before reaching the vessel, all thoughts of attack 
 ing the fugitives were abandoned by the inhabit 
 ants of the city. But the Israelites saw that 
 some of the soldiers hurried off into the town; 
 and shortly afterward the signs of great com 
 motion became visible. Horsemen were seen 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 139 
 
 dashing back and forward, while one, bolder 
 than the rest, forced his animal into the water 
 and swam toward the vessel. But he never 
 returned. When he came within the proper 
 distance, an arrow, sent by the unerring hand 
 of Nahum, pierced his brain, and he sunk 
 into his watery grave. On beholding the fate 
 of their companion, the other soldiers withdrew, 
 leaving the fugitives to pursue their way ; and 
 soon after the latter were out of sight. But 
 had they been obliged to follow the course they 
 had taken at first, viz. in the middle of the 
 river, there is no knowing what might have 
 become of them, and perhaps Columbus, when 
 he came to America, would have found that 
 country uninhabited. 
 
 On the Israelites this occurrence had made 
 no impression; for they had implicit confi 
 dence in their guide, and he had told them 
 that there was no occasion for fear, while those 
 that were in the interior of the vessel knew 
 nothing about it until they were far beyond the 
 place. 
 
 And now they sailed on, passing several other 
 towns at night-time, until, four weeks after 
 
140 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 quitting Nineveh, they reached the end of the 
 Tigris and came into the river Euphrates, 
 whence six days later they emerged into the 
 Persian Gulf. Here there was less danger of 
 being seen; and, without meeting with any acci 
 dent, the fugitives sailed on, and on the seventh 
 day of their entrance into the gulf they ran 
 into the Strait of Ormus. This they quitted 
 after a half-day's hard rowing; and now the 
 blue waters of the Bay of Arabia opened before 
 them, whence they soon emerged, by keeping on 
 their straight southerly course, into the Indian 
 Ocean. They now had lost sight of the land, 
 and saw nothing but sky and water. The 
 grandeur and sublimity of the spectacle before 
 them filled their souls with awe; while now 
 they felt that they were free indeed. And in 
 the exuberance of this feeling they sank on 
 their knees with one accord, and raised their 
 cheerful voices to heaven. 
 
 It was now ten weeks since they had left the 
 land of their oppressors, and their clothes had 
 become dirty and travel-stained. The women 
 therefore set to work to wash the garments, and 
 then they fastened stout cords across the deck 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED IkTEN. 141 
 
 of the vessel, to hang the pieces out to dry. A 
 lively breeze had, in the mean time, sprung up in 
 the east, and, the wind catching in the clothes, 
 the rowers instantly felt that a new and strong 
 impulse had been given to the movement of the 
 ship. They soon communicated their .observa 
 tion to each other ; and, to test it still further, 
 they lifted their oars out of the water and held 
 them suspended, when, to their surprise, the 
 vessel went on even faster than before. One 
 of the men, Keuben by name, then suggested 
 the expansion of a large sheet as high up as 
 possible; and, this meeting with the approval 
 of the rest, he and one of his companions left 
 their places, and, fastening their oars, they nailed 
 two long poles opposite each other to the railing 
 of the deck. To these they tied a stout rope, 
 on which they fastened a large sheet ; but, per 
 ceiving that most of the force of the wind was 
 lost by the sheet being raised, to let the air 
 escape, they fastened the other end of the novel 
 sail to the deck, and then went back to observe 
 the result. 
 
 The effect was, wonderful; for not only was 
 the labor of the rowers made unnecessary, but 
 
142 THE XOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the speed of the vessel was increased to such 
 an extent that the fleetest charger would have 
 been unable to cope with her. All this had 
 been going on in the small hours of the morning, 
 and while, with the exception of the four rowers 
 and the women, everybody on board was sound 
 asleep. 
 
 Before Mordecai retired the previous night, 
 he had fastened the rudder with cords, so as to 
 keep the craft in her straight course. But 
 the wind and the waves had loosened it; and 
 gradually the east wind changed the direction of 
 the vessel, until she headed straight to the west. 
 
 But the men on deck did not observe this : 
 they were too full of joy at their discovery to 
 have eyes or ears for any thing else; and so the 
 bark sped on her new course without interrup 
 tion. 
 
 While this had been going on on deck, a 
 scene of a different character, but closely allied 
 to that on deck, had been enacted in the interior 
 of the vessel. Old Mordecai was sleeping 
 soundly, when suddenly his spirit awoke and 
 saw by the side of the old man's couch the 
 venerable guide of his former journey. A 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 143 
 
 smile played upon the face of the heavenly 
 messenger, while his right arm was stretched 
 out and the forefinger of his hand pointed to a 
 certain direction. 
 
 " My son," said he, " thy trust in divine provi 
 dence has not been vain. So far thou hast been 
 in the right direction for the salvation of Israel ; 
 but now thou must change the course of thy 
 bark, and toward the setting sun shalt thou 
 seek the land of promise. Arise ! go on deck, 
 and see what is done. Keep thy ship in the 
 direction she has taken, and soon shalt thou 
 reach that country where thou mayest prosper, 
 where thou mayest lift thy heart to Jehovah's 
 throne in his own temple." 
 
 The old man disappeared, and Mordecai 
 awoke. He jumped out of his bed, dressed him 
 self, and went on deck. Here he was surprised 
 to find the rowers' benches empty, and the oars 
 fastened down. 
 
 But soon he felt the onward motion of the 
 vessel, and, on raising his eyes, he beheld the 
 large sheet suspended between the two poles. 
 
 The white seeming clouds on the vessel of his 
 
144 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 dream stood before his mind's eye, and he fell 
 on his knees, raising his hands toward heaven. 
 
 " I thank thee, Jehovah !" he cried; " for thou 
 in truth art the Father, the salvation, of Israel!" 
 
 He then interrogated the men on deck as 
 to the meaning of what he saw, and soon was 
 informed of the circumstances attending the 
 happy discovery, while at the same time he 
 perceived that the fastening of the rudder had 
 been cast off, and, on looking up toward the sun, 
 now about two hours risen, he became aware 
 that the direction of his ship was changed to 
 ward the west. Now the rest of the Israelites 
 awoke and began to crowd the deck, when they 
 were informed of the fortunate discovery just 
 made, and all united in a heart-felt prayer of 
 thanksgiving. They then sat down to their 
 morning meal, which now, as ever since the 
 open sea had been reached, was served on deck; 
 and, this being finished, Nahum reiterated his 
 wish to be informed of the circumstances at 
 tending the removal of his friends from the in 
 terior of Assyria to the subterranean chamber. 
 
 This time Mordecai made no objection, and 
 Reuben, the same man who had expanded the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 145 
 
 first sail that was ever set to the breeze, related 
 as follows : 
 
 "I, with about two hundred of my unfor 
 tunate countrymen, had been carried away to 
 Halah, which is by the river Gozan ; and hard 
 indeed was our lot. From morning till night 
 we toiled and bled under the lash of our cruel 
 oppressors, while our wives, daughters, and 
 sisters fell victims to the lusts of their licentious 
 masters. Many of our number were overcome 
 by their sufferings. They fell, to rise no more, 
 when their corpses were left on the field, a prey 
 to the wild beasts, while their bones to this 
 day lie bleaching over the plains. For three 
 long years we endured our hardships; when, one 
 day, while out in the fields toiling beneath the 
 burning rays of a July sun, I and twelve others 
 beheld an old man, clad in rags, rapidly ap 
 proaching us. When he came nearer, we saw 
 that it was some poor unhappy wretch bereft 
 of reason. He gnashed his teeth, raised his 
 hands in a menacing attitude, and ran straight 
 toward our overseers, as if he would annihilate 
 them with a stroke of his long, bony arm. The 
 hirelings, cowards as they were, fled before this 
 
 K 13 
 
146 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 single old man, until they were lost in the dis 
 tance, and when we stood, irresolute and curious, 
 to see the end of this strange adventure, the 
 maniac turned upon us. 
 
 "He made a sign with his right hand, and ut 
 tered a single word, when we became aware 
 that his insanity was assumed, and that he was 
 our friend. He then approached us, and said, 
 
 "' Brethren, I too am one of the unfortunate 
 sons of Israel ! But, happier than you, although 
 a captive, I am free to do what I like. But 
 this is no time for idle talk; and therefore I must 
 be brief. Let those of you who prefer free 
 dom at all hazards to slavery and death at 
 the hands of your cruel masters, join me, at 
 the hour of midnight, at the cedar copse that 
 you see at some distance to the right. There 
 you will find others of your countrymen, whom 
 I have seen already. And be careful not to forget 
 your wives and children, with such of your 
 property as you can safely conceal about your 
 persons/ 
 
 " And, making another sign with his hand, and 
 uttering the single word ' Caution/ the man 
 moved off as quickly as he had come. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 147 
 
 "We now awaited the return of the overseers; 
 but, as they did not come back, we continued 
 our work until the hour arrived when we were 
 permitted to go home. On our way homeward 
 we were rejoined by our tormentors ; and many 
 were the indignities they heaped upon us for not 
 coming to their rescue. 
 
 "But they did not strike us, for fear that we 
 would expose their cowardice and make them 
 the laughing-stock of their comrades; and so we 
 were permitted to go to our huts. As we now 
 had been in bondage so long and had never made 
 an attempt to run away, (knowing as we did that 
 it would avail us nothing,) we were compara 
 tively free after our day's work was done, and 
 frequently had we visited each other, and even 
 taken long walks with our wives and children. 
 
 "On this evening, and when our last meal was 
 finished, we all assembled in the hut inhabited 
 by me ; and as, by the talk of the old man, it was 
 more than probable that an immediate move 
 was intended, we at once resolved to flee with 
 him, let the consequences be what they might; 
 and, accompanied by our wives and children, and 
 after we had packed up as much of our small 
 
148 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 stores as we could conveniently carry, we set 
 out toward the appointed spot, where we arrived 
 a little before midnight. After waiting there 
 for about half an hour, we were joined by thirty- 
 seven of our countrymen, with their wives and 
 children, who were also resolved to seek freedom 
 at all hazards. 
 
 " We had not yet seen the old man ; and some 
 of us even began to fear that he would not come, 
 when suddenly he stood before us, not as the 
 beggar bereft of reason, but a venerable old man, 
 with bald head, and long, flowing beard of snowy 
 whiteness, in short, our good old father Mor- 
 decai. He told us of Nineveh, of his nephews, 
 of his cot and the subterranean vault, then of 
 his dream and his purpose. He asked us if we 
 would share his fortunes ; and when we told him 
 that we were resolved to dare any thing rather 
 than remain in bondage, a happy smile lit up 
 his face, and he at once instructed us how to 
 proceed in order to reach his cot in safety. ' For/ 
 said he, 'I cannot accompany you, as my mis 
 sion is not yet ended.' He then arose, and, ad 
 monishing us to lose no time, went off, and soon 
 was out of sight. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 149 
 
 "We stood for a moment in hesitation, but 
 soon overcame that feeling. We knew that the 
 old man was to be trusted, and therefore at once 
 commenced our journey. 
 
 "Expecting that an immediate move was 
 contemplated, we had, on leaving our huts, pro 
 vided ourselves with as much provisions as we 
 could bring away besides our baggage; and when 
 the sun arose the next morning we were far 
 from our late abode. 
 
 "Following the instructions of our liberator, 
 we now sought the shade of a deep forest, where 
 we rested until the sun had gone down and then 
 resumed our march. And thus, marching and 
 resting alternately, we at length, nine days 
 i after our departure, arrived at the old man's 
 cot. 
 
 "Friend Lamech, when he heard who and 
 what we were, at once admitted us to the 
 i vault; and there we remained until we left it 
 on board this vessel. There may have been 
 dangers in our road ; but, by the help of Jehovah, 
 we avoided them all. And now, thanks to our 
 noble old friend and father, thanks to the God 
 of Israel, we are free once more !" 
 
 13* 
 
150 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 Nahum and Hermione, Harim and Tamar, had 
 listened to this narrative in surprise and wonder, 
 and when it was finished they arose, went up to 
 Mordecai and kissed his hand, while the tears that 
 glistened in their eyes spoke the thanks they 
 would once more express for what he had done 
 for his unfortunate brethren. 
 
 But the old man arose, and said, 
 
 " No thanks are due to me for what has been 
 done; for what I did was for my interest as well 
 as for that of my unfortunate brethren. I too 
 desired to leave the land of our enemies ; and 
 well I knew that only by uniting our forces could 
 this be brought about; and that we have suc 
 ceeded, that we have accomplished our flight 
 and now are free, is the work of Jehovah. 
 
 " To Him all our thanks belong. 
 
 "The narrative of our brother Keuben," he 
 continued, " answers for all, as, with the exercise 
 of proper caution, the rest of our friends, and 
 at last I myself, succeeded in reaching the sub 
 terranean vaults in safety, without encountering 
 any of the dangers that may have lurked in 
 our path." 
 
 It should be stated here that the Israelites 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 151 
 
 who left the city of Nineveh to join the fugi 
 tives numbered about fifty men, with their fami 
 lies: so that the entire number of persons on 
 board the vessel was somewhere in the neigh 
 borhood of six hundred. 
 
 By diligence and economy, Mordecai had been 
 enabled to accumulate provisions enough to sup 
 port all these people for about one year; and, as 
 he firmly believed that long before the end of 
 that time they would reach their destination, 
 he had no fears of destitution. 
 
 They now sailed on; but soon the wind began 
 to lull, and they had to return to their oars. 
 After a few days, however, the breeze sprang up 
 i with renewed force, and the oars again could 
 be dispensed with. And so, alternately rowing 
 and sailing before a wind that fortunately, and, 
 no doubt, by the especial direction of Provi 
 dence, did not once change its course, they at 
 last, just nine months after leaving Nineveh, 
 sighted the Cape of Good Hope. 
 
 It was the sixth hour after noon when the 
 men on deck saw the land ; and, believing this 
 to be the place of their destination, they set up a 
 great shout of joy. But old Mordecai, whom 
 
152 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the shout had called on deck, sadly shook his 
 head, for he saw no traces of the lovely land 
 scape of his dream. 
 
 " We must not stop here," he said : " farther on 
 toward the setting sun lies the land of promise." 
 
 But he was troubled. The provisions that he 
 had expected to last for the entire journey 
 were nearly consumed, and he had as yet seen 
 no signs of the country that had been shown 
 to him in his dream. 
 
 The more he looked at the land now before 
 them, the more he became convinced that that 
 was not the place of their destination, and that 
 it was very likely their journey was to last 
 another nine months. How he should be able 
 to bring his brethren safely to their new home 
 after the means of satisfying the demands of 
 nature had been exhausted, he did not know, 
 and in silence and sorrow he paced the deck, 
 not daring to make his thoughts known. 
 
 But soon his tired limbs refused to perform 
 their wonted duties; fatigue overcame the old 
 man, and, descending to his bedroom, he threw 
 himself on his couch. No sooner had slumber 
 closed his eyes than his spirit again awoke, and 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 153 
 
 the mysterious guide of his first voyage reap 
 peared, and, while an encouraging smile lit 
 up his venerable face, the heavenly visitor 
 said, 
 
 " Fear not, my son. Be not faint of heart. 
 Thinkest thou that He who has protected thee 
 thus far, who has led thee safely through all 
 dangers, will abandon thee now ? Or dost thou 
 fear that he has not the power to protect thee 
 further ? Look around thee. Eight in front, in 
 the very path of thy vessel, thou seest a land 
 | which is to be to thee, and to many who will 
 come after thee in future ages, a cape of good 
 hope. 
 
 " There thou must land. The interior is full of 
 1 fruit, vegetables, and game. Fill thy vessel, 
 i then resume thy journey. And be of good 
 I cheer ; for in nine months from now thou shalt 
 i reach the land of promise. 
 
 "But henceforth the guidance of thy bark must 
 be left to me. Be careful not to touch the rud- 
 der, while thy men must not be allowed to handle 
 their oars ; for I am appointed by Jehovah to 
 take thee to the country that he has given thee 
 without further aid from man." 
 
154 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 The messenger then disappeared, and Mor- 
 decai slept quietly on. 
 
 The sun was high in the heavens when the 
 old Israelite awoke. He was much refreshed; 
 and, when he had made his simple toilet, he went 
 on deck. Here the invigorating morning air 
 fanned his cheeks, and anon his dream came 
 back to his mind. He remembered the command 
 given him by the venerable guide to land and to 
 replenish his store of provisions ; and when he 
 looked around, dreading lest the land they had 
 seen on the day before had been passed in the 
 night and was now far in their rear, he was 
 astonished to perceive that the vessel had already 
 touched the coast, and that the combined strength 
 of thirty muscular men was not able to remove 
 the craft back into the open sea. 
 
 Then he sprang forward and bade the men 
 desist ; and in a few words he informed them of 
 his sadness the preceding day on thinking of their 
 situation and the exhausted state of their larder. 
 But he also told them of his dream, and of the 
 advice and assurance of his heavenly visitor. 
 
 And now the ship was fastened to the land, 
 and most of the fugitives with Mordecai, Nahum, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 155 
 
 and Harim at their head, jumped on shore and 
 set out to explore the interior. 
 
 Ere long they found entire forests of trees 
 laden with nutritious and delicious fruit, and 
 extensive plains overgrown with good and 
 wholesome vegetables, while the game, from 
 the timid hare to the stately stag, appeared in 
 such abundance that the men only needed to 
 stretch out their arms to catch them. 
 
 And so in a short time the vessel was refilled 
 with even better provender than she had carried 
 i when she was launched on the broad waters of the 
 Tigris. The wanderers also found an abundance 
 of springs of the purest and best water wherewith 
 to fill their empty goat-skin bags ; and before the 
 noon of the second day after their landing they 
 were provided with every thing needful for a 
 continuance of their journey, when the vessel was 
 cast loose and pushed back into the open sea, 
 a task accomplished this time by three men 
 with the greatest ease. 
 
 After sailing a few days in a westerly direc 
 tion, the wind suddenly changed to the south 
 east, driving the ship in a northwesterly course, 
 
156 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 and soon after she emerged into the Atlantic 
 Ocean. 
 
 Meantime Mordecai had not forgotten the 
 request of his heavenly visitor, and had caused 
 the oars to be taken off altogether, while the 
 rudder was left, but never touched by human 
 hand. 
 
 And so the Israelites sailed on to their desti 
 nation, their vessel guided by the unerring hand 
 of a supernatural power, while by the especial 
 direction of Providence the wind although at 
 times blowing hard enough to cause the waters 
 to rise up in foam-crested waves never once 
 changed to a storm ; and, without encountering 
 any thing worth relating, they at length just 
 nine months after leaving the Cape of Good 
 Hope, and eighteen months since their departure 
 from Nineveh came in sight of what are now 
 called the Bahama Islands. 
 
 Old Mordecai stood on deck when the land 
 first appeared in the distance, and, on coming 
 nearer, he recognized the green vales, the silvery 
 streams, and the beautiful forests of his won 
 derful dream. 
 
 And with his arms stretched out, as if to 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 157 
 
 grasp the lovely scene, he cried, in a joyous voice 
 that trembled with emotion, " Behold, brethren, 
 the land of promise !" and, once more sinking on 
 his knees, his prayers and thanksgivings ascended 
 to the throne of the Almighty. 
 
158 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE FIRST INHABITANTS OF AMERICA. 
 
 AT the time of which I write, that cluster of 
 islands now known as the Bahamas was one 
 solid piece of land, separated only by a small 
 stream about fifty feet wide from the continent 
 of America, of which it then formed the eastern 
 most point. 
 
 This point was one of the most lovely spots 
 on the face of the earth. The climate, although 
 far from tropical, was still clear and warm enough 
 to favor a truly tropical vegetation. 
 
 Beautiful forests of almond, citron, and orange 
 trees abounded, while the green vales were tra 
 versed by silvery streams, pure and clear as 
 crystal, whose banks were covered with a pro 
 fusion of rich and rare flowers. 
 
 The delicious grape, and other fruit of the 
 richest flavor, were found in abundance, while 
 almost in the midst of this natural garden a 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 159 
 
 huge volcano reared its lava-crested summit 
 high into the clouds. 
 
 When old Mordecai arose, he saw Nahum and 
 Harim, with their wives, standing beside him, 
 their eyes riveted, in wonder and rapture, on the 
 lovely landscape before them. 
 
 " father," Hermione cried, " what a lovely, 
 what an enchanting scene ! Is this beautiful 
 country indeed the land given to Israel by the 
 merciful, the good Jehovah ?" And, filled with joy, 
 she threw herself into the arms of her husband. 
 
 In the mean time the wind, which had been 
 blowing very strong during the last twelve hours, 
 grew in violence, until at last it changed to a 
 heavy storm. The sea, before so quiet and 
 smooth, was lashed into foam. Its waters as 
 cended on high in monstrous waves, and chaos 
 seemed to reign supreme over that boundless 
 expanse. 
 
 The vessel of our fugitives soon began to feel 
 the influence of this change: it was thrown 
 about like a play-ball in the hands of a giant ; 
 anon it was lifted high into the air on the crest 
 of a towering wave, and then it sank out of 
 sight as if swallowed up by the roaring waters. 
 
160 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 Finally a wave mightier and higher than the 
 rest seized the frail bark, held her one moment 
 suspended over a terrible abyss, and then threw 
 her high on the shore. On striking the land, the 
 huge structure burst asunder; but the receding 
 water left her high and dry ; and our Israelites, 
 although dreadfully frightened, found themselves 
 safe and sound on the promised soil. 
 
 Our friends had been spell-bound and awe- 
 stricken when the storm arose and they began 
 to feel the violent motions of the ship ; but Mor- 
 decai, whose coolness, fortunately, never left him 
 for a moment, quickly drove them into the inte 
 rior of the vessel, covered the holes with the 
 doors made for that purpose, and then, tying 
 himself to one of the rowers' benches, he alone 
 remained on deck. When the vessel went to 
 pieces, the bench broke loose, and the old man 
 fell into the hold; but he fell on one of the 
 beds of moss and dry leaves, and therefore suf 
 fered no injury other than a somewhat violent 
 shock. 
 
 The first care of the wanderers was to re 
 move the parts of their ship and her contents 
 farther out on the land; and, when they had 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 161 
 
 ascertained that none of their number was miss 
 ing or injured, they set to work with a will. 
 
 They first moved their provisions, of which, 
 to their great joy, they found a considerable 
 quantity left; then they took their furniture, 
 tools, &c. ; and finally they broke up the remain 
 ing parts of the vessel and brought away the 
 pieces. 
 
 By this time the storm had blown over, and 
 the sun emerged from behind the last dark 
 cloud. The Israelites built a great fire, to pre 
 pare their evening meal; and, when that had 
 been partaken of, they stretched themselves on 
 the ground, where they soon sank into a deep 
 
 sleep. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Glorious Sol was leaving his watery bed, and 
 his genial rays began to gild the tree-tops, when 
 our sleepers awoke the next morning. 
 
 They arose much refreshed; and then old 
 Mordecai kneeled down to morning prayers. 
 After that he arose and formally resigned into 
 Nahum's hands his office as chief of the Is 
 raelites. 
 
 "My mission," the old man said, "is now 
 
 L 14* 
 
162 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 ended. Thanks to Jehovah, you are free : you 
 now stand on the soil that he, in his infinite 
 goodness and mercy, has given you. 
 
 "You now can pray to the God of your 
 fathers in his own glorious temple, without fear 
 of molestation. But I fain would rest from 
 my labor; I would live in peace and quiet the 
 few days that I may be spared. In our friend 
 Nahum I leave you a successor whom you may 
 trust under all circumstances: he will be the 
 father, as Hermione will be the mother, of 
 Israel. 
 
 " Yet, before I retire from my office, I would 
 once more admonish you to keep the command 
 ments of Jehovah. Forget not what he has 
 done to you. 
 
 "While Israel walked in the right path, she 
 was mighty and happy; but when she left the 
 right course, when she turned her heart from 
 the true God of her fathers, she fell : then 
 Jehovah withdrew his protecting hand, and 
 her enemies triumphed over her. When in 
 our captivity we again turned our hearts to the 
 only true and living God, behold how he raised 
 us up, how wonderfully he helped and protected 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 163 
 
 us in all dangers, until now we are once more 
 free ! 
 
 "As long as you shall do right, you will 
 prosper, you will become a great, a mighty 
 people ; but as soon as you cease to do that 
 which is right, you will perish." 
 
 The aged Mordecai ceased, and Nahum now 
 arose and went up to his uncle. He embraced 
 the old man and kissed him; then, in the 
 name of his friends, he once more thanked him 
 for all he had done for them. " Be assured," 
 the new leader continued, " that, as long as our 
 life shall last, we will never forget your wise, 
 your good counsels; as long as our life shall 
 last, we shall love and honor you as our libe 
 rator, as our greatest benefactor." Then he took 
 Hermione's hand, and turned toward the assem 
 bled multitude. 
 
 "Brethren," he said, in a clear and manly 
 voice, " I have been appointed your leader : our 
 father has deemed me worthy to be his succes 
 sor, and, while I accept the trust thus reposed 
 in me, I here most solemnly pledge myself to 
 the interests of Israel. I shall always be your 
 friend, while Hermione will be your mother; 
 
164 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 and with the assistance of our brother Harim, 
 and under the guidance of our venerated friend 
 and father Mordecai, I shall be able to lead you 
 to happiness and glory." 
 
 There were some skilful mechanics among the 
 Israelites; and they at once set to work to build 
 tents with the boards of their vessel, while another 
 part of the men, under the guidance of Mordecai, 
 went to prepare the soil for agricultural purposes ; 
 and, as the old man had not neglected to bring 
 with him a large quantity of grain and different 
 seeds with which to sow their well-cultivated 
 acres, all soon were comfortably settled. 
 
 Now Nahum was formally installed as king, 
 and under his rule the young colony soon be 
 gan to prosper. Fruit, vegetables, and game, 
 were found in abundance in the new country ; 
 and, while a party of skilled hunters supplied 
 the tables of the inhabitants with savory meat, 
 the inland streams contributed various kinds of 
 the finny tribe. 
 
 It was now the month of November, and the 
 rains, that annually set in in this new country 
 instead of the severe winter of other lands, soon 
 began to fall. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 165 
 
 The tents the new settlers had built, although 
 a very fair protection for the present, were 
 too frail in construction to afford an entirely 
 secure shelter for a longer time; and it was 
 therefore resolved that, as soon as the rains 
 should cease, they would commence the building 
 of a regular city. 
 
 The interval was occupied in making plans, 
 and in such other work necessary for building- 
 purposes as could be performed within the tents; 
 and when the spring of the next year came 
 around, the foundation of the town was laid. 
 After six years' assiduous labor, the new city 
 was finished, and although, of course, not so 
 good and substantial as our modern buildings, 
 yet the houses were secure and comfortable and 
 presented a very handsome appearance. 
 
 The streets of "New Samaria" as the city 
 was called were straight and wide, while the 
 houses, with the exception of the king's palace, 
 the residence of Harim, and the temple, were 
 of one size, and each surrounded by a well- 
 cultivated garden, thus giving the town a most 
 beautiful appearance. The king's palace was a 
 noble structure, with numerous out-houses, the 
 
166 THE LOST TRIBES OP ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 whole surrounded by a magnificent and well-laid- 
 out park. This park was traversed by a broad, 
 silvery stream, which, flowing over numerous 
 picturesque cascades, formed several splendid 
 waterfalls in miniature, and on arriving in the 
 middle of the grounds expanded into a beautiful 
 lake. 
 
 Stately trees, over whose crowns the summers 
 of centuries had passed, and which had been left 
 standing when the park was laid out, harbored 
 in their branches armies of rare birds of richest 
 plumage. Delicious grapes of golden and pur 
 ple hues clustered on leafy vines, and were in 
 terspersed with the yellow orange, the purple 
 plum, and the sweet almond. Flowers rich and 
 rare emitted their delicious fragrance; and alto 
 gether this garden was in all respects a perfect 
 counterpart of Eden. 
 
 The house of Harim, too, was a noble structure, 
 and it also was surrounded by a beautiful park; 
 while the temple, that stood in the centre of the 
 city, rivalled the famous temple of Solomon in 
 magnitude and elegance. 
 
 In the king's palace there was a suite of three 
 rooms, fitted out with all that ingenuity could 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN*. 167 
 
 invent and persevering industry could accom 
 plish for elegance and comfort. 
 
 These were the apartments of Mordecai, a 
 fitting tribute of love and veneration on the part 
 of the good old man's grateful countrymen. 
 
 Lamech, too, was an inhabitant of the royal 
 palace. 
 
 * * in**. * * * 
 
 It was little more than six years after the land 
 ing of the Israelites. In a large hall of the king's 
 palace, furnished in the most gorgeous manner, 
 seated on a throne ingeniously constructed of the 
 costliest wood, was Mordecai. On each side of 
 him sat Nahum and Hermione, in their royal 
 robes, while Harim and Tamar occupied two 
 chairs at the foot of the throne. The higher of 
 ficers of the realm and of the royal household 
 formed a semicircle, in the centre of which stood 
 Ezra, the high-priest, and on his right hand a 
 comely dark-eyed boy, about five years old, and on 
 his left a beautiful little girl of about three sum 
 mers. These children were the son of Nahum, 
 named Mishael, and the daughter of Harim, 
 named Deborah; and that day had been chosen 
 for the celebration of their circumcision, a cere- 
 
168 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 mony that had been postponed until it could be 
 performed in the king's palace. 
 
 When all had taken their places, and while a 
 deep silence reigned throughout the assembled 
 multitude, Ezra fell on his knees, and, raising his 
 hands on high, offered up to Jehovah a fervent 
 prayer, in which he was joined by all present. 
 
 After that, Mordecai descended from the throne, 
 and, taking both children by the hand, blessed 
 them, and then the solemn ceremony was per 
 formed by the old man and the high-priest. 
 
 This done, a sumptuous repast was served up 
 in the garden of the palace, of which all the 
 people partook; and great were the rejoicings 
 of the assembled multitude. 
 
 Hermione, whose stately form and queenly 
 bearing commanded the respect and admiration 
 of all who beheld her, moved among her guests 
 like a mother and a sister. She had a kind word, 
 a sweet smile, for every one present ; and wher 
 ever she appeared she was greeted with loud 
 manifestations of love and veneration. 
 
 Tamar, the lovely Tamar, was also there ; and 
 she likewise received the hearty congratulations 
 of her friends and countrymen. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 169 
 
 At length the feast was over, and the Israel 
 ites dispersed over the extensive park, some 
 listening to the sweet strains of harp and lute, 
 others strolling along the banks of the beautiful 
 lake, while the younger portion of the assembly 
 sought the remotest parts of the enclosure, to 
 listen to the sweet voices of the feathered song 
 sters, or in some cool and shady arbor to forget 
 all around them in love's sweet communion. 
 
 In a little while the sound of trumpets became 
 audible, and, headed by a band of music, a pro 
 cession of beautiful children dressed in white 
 was seen to emerge from the palace. After 
 them came a little carriage, wherein sat Mi- 
 shael and Deborah, and which was drawn by six 
 boys arrayed in gaudy colors, while a file of 
 other boys, dressed in the fashion of David and 
 Solomon's time, closed the procession. 
 
 They went over the greatest part of the park, 
 and on their march they were joined by all pre 
 sent in the enclosure, who had been attracted 
 by the sounds of the music and the novelty of 
 the scene. At the entrance of a huge canvas 
 tent, that had been constructed on the bank of 
 the afore-mentioned stream, and at the foot of 
 
 15 
 
170 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 one of the waterfalls, stood Nahum, Hermione, 
 Harim, and Tamar, reviewing the advancing 
 procession; and when it had passed, the chil 
 dren were left to their plays, under the super 
 vision of some older attendants, while the guests 
 were invited into the tent, where another band 
 was playing up to the lively dance. 
 
 Here, led by Nahum and Hermione, all soon 
 were in motion, and the dancing was kept up 
 until near the tenth hour. Then followed the 
 sumptuous evening meal, and after that the 
 dance was resumed. 
 
 It was near the fifth hour after midnight 
 when the company separated, all highly pleased 
 with their generous chief and his beautiful 
 queen. 
 
 And so the first inhabitants of America lived 
 on, alternately working and feasting, little dream 
 ing that their happiness would ever come to an 
 end. 
 
 As yet old Mordecai was with them, and his 
 counsels prevailed. Well did he know that the 
 happiness and prosperity of his friends was the 
 work of the God of their fathers, and most con 
 scientiously did he admonish them to walk in 
 
r .HE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 171 
 
 the right path. But old age now began to show 
 itself in all earnest, while the anxiety, trouble, 
 and exposure he had endured during the last 
 ten years of his existence had done their share 
 in undermining the once vigorous constitution 
 of the liberator of the Israelites. And already 
 the lessons in religion the latter had received 
 from their heathenish conquerors began to show 
 their dangerous consequences, in a slight and 
 almost imperceptible degree, it is true ; but yet 
 Mordecai had trembled when first he became 
 aware of it, and he dreaded to think of the time 
 when he should be taken away. He had remon 
 strated with Nahum and Harim on the subject ; 
 but, although they had admitted the truth of his 
 observation, and had done every thing to quiet 
 him, they had not satisfied him, and the old man 
 began to fear that even his nephews were in 
 danger of falling into the errors of the rest. 
 
 But he had done all he could, and nothing 
 was left him but to pray to Jehovah to guide 
 and keep his friends in the right path. 
 
 This the old man did often and earnestly; 
 but how his prayers were answered, we will see 
 in the following chapter. 
 
172 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 TEN years have elapsed since the incidents 
 related in the last chapter. The population of 
 New Samaria had increased to the number of 
 several thousands, and the city had been greatly 
 enlarged. 
 
 But the moment long dreaded by Mordecai 
 had at length arrived. The old man lay at the 
 point of death. All that love and gratitude 
 could accomplish to soothe the last moments of 
 their liberator and friend was done by Nahum, 
 Harim, and the Israelites in general ; but a heavy 
 burden of sorrow and anxiety was on the old man's 
 heart. Only too clearly had he seen, in the latter 
 years of his life, that his countrymen were be 
 ginning to follow the ways of their late hea 
 thenish masters, and to turn away from the God 
 of their fathers, and dark forebodings had over 
 shadowed his soul. 
 
 But the Israelites had never given him the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 173 
 
 opportunity to reproach them directly; for they 
 had always tried to hide their leaning toward 
 heathenism, and had never publicly shown it, for 
 fear of offending their honored father. And so 
 old Mordecai could but admonish them to remain 
 true and faithful. But all his admonitions, he 
 felt, had been of no avail; and now, while at the 
 point of death, he shuddered when he thought 
 of the terrible fate that surely would overtake 
 his erring brethren. 
 
 His nephews and their wives were beside his 
 couch, and with his last breath he tried to warn 
 them of the fearful consequences of a sinful life. 
 But soon his tongue refused to do its duty, and, 
 with the word "Jehovah" half uttered on his 
 lips, he fell back and expired. 
 
 Great and sincere was the grief of the settlers 
 when they heard of the loss. 
 
 The city was shrouded in deep mourning, and 
 for an entire week every thing wore the aspect 
 of a great calamity having befallen the inhabit- 
 ants. Then preparations were made for the 
 solemn burial. A magnificent coffin, made of 
 the costliest wood, inlaid with precious stones 
 and mounted with gold, had been provided, and 
 
 I 
 
 15* 
 
174 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 on the eighth day after his demise the remains 
 of Mordecai were carried out of the palace, and 
 followed by every man and woman of New Sa 
 maria, the king, the queen, Harim, Tamar, and 
 Lamech, at the head as chief mourners, in solemn 
 procession deposited in the vault of the temple. 
 The Israelites then returned to their homes ; and 
 for a long time afterward nothing was thought 
 or spoken of save the many excellent qualities 
 of their late friend and liberator, and many 
 were the secret resolves to live according to his 
 precepts and example. 
 
 But alas for human weakness ! 
 
 The impression made by the godly life and 
 the solemn death of old Mordecai was at last 
 forgotten, and the new settlers returned to their 
 evil ways. Even Nahum and Harim forsook 
 the God of their fathers. Hitherto, and while 
 their uncle had lived among them, they had 
 been true and faithful ; but now the old man 
 was gone, and his counsels were no longer heard, 
 while the ease and luxury of their high posi 
 tions, combined with 
 
 " Idleness, the mother of all vices/' 
 had, little by little, corrupted their hearts. And 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 175 
 
 so it came to pass that the court of the king, 
 which should have been an example of right 
 eousness, became the centre of licentiousness 
 and iniquity, whence corruption spread through 
 all classes of the community. 
 
 Hermione and Tamar, weak creatures, though 
 faithful and righteous thus far, were but too 
 easily guided by their husbands, whom they 
 loved with all the sincerity of a pure and noble 
 heart, and whose examples they therefore did not 
 for a moment hesitate to follow. 
 
 The royal palace now became the daily scene 
 of debaucheries and wanton feasts, while the 
 altars of the temple, once consecrated to Je 
 hovah, became the pedestals of heathenish idols. 
 
 And so the children of Israel sinned against 
 the Lord their God, who had safely brought 
 them out of their captivity from under the 
 hands of their cruel oppressors. 
 
 They caused their sons and daughters to pass 
 through the fire ; they used divination and en 
 chantments, after the manner of the heathens ; 
 and their feasts rivalled the infamous orgies of 
 Nebuchadnezzar in all that was licentious and 
 wicked. 
 
176 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 But one man was there in New Samaria who 
 saw all this with grief and sorrow. The soul of 
 Ezra, the high-priest, was troubled when he saw 
 the desecration of the temple, when he beheld 
 the sinful course his friends were pursuing. 
 
 He admonished and remonstrated ; but to no 
 purpose. The majority of the people turned a 
 deaf ear to all his words ; while the king and 
 Harim had already found too much of unholy 
 pleasure in the evil path they were following 
 to heed the exhortation of the good priest. 
 
 But Ezra did not give up his good work. He 
 begged, and he threatened with the eternal 
 punishment that certainly would overtake them 
 if they did not return to the only true God of 
 Israel; but he was derided, and at last he became 
 the object of the most intense hatred. 
 
 And yet the exertions of the old man did not 
 remain wholly unrewarded. A young man, Elia- 
 kim by name, who possessed some influence 
 among his countrymen, became at length con 
 vinced of the truth of the words of the high- 
 priest; and through him about two hundred 
 more of the Israelites became converted to the 
 teachings of Ezra. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 177 
 
 But what were these against the far greater 
 number of their opponents? True, the former 
 did all in their power to turn their breth 
 ren from their wicked ways ; but it was of no 
 use. The latter were not to be moved. Of the 
 elder people, who had been delivered out of 
 their Assyrian captivity, a great many had de 
 parted life ; and the younger ones particularly 
 those that had been born on the voyage or in 
 the new country had long felt and become dis 
 satisfied with the restraints to licentiousness 
 which the strict religion of Israel imposed on 
 its votaries. 
 
 While Mordecai lived, they dared not even 
 express their dissatisfaction, and were obliged to 
 submit to the Mosaic laws without a murmur. 
 
 But now all restraint was gone; and gladly 
 and eagerly had the occasion for throwing off 
 I all reserve been embraced. 
 
 It is, therefore, not be wondered at that Ezra 
 and his followers were totally unable to make 
 the slightest impression on their erring friends ; 
 and, as the existing difference of opinion be 
 tween the two parties was not unlikely to 
 lead eventually to internal strife and civil war, 
 
 M 
 
178 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the high-priest and his adherents at last re 
 solved to separate and seek a new country, 
 where they might be freed from the fate which 
 they were sure would soon overtake the inha 
 bitants of New Samaria. 
 
 The latter did not object to an arrangement 
 that would at once, and without the slightest 
 trouble on their part, rid them of a party of 
 men who were opposed to their mode of living, 
 and whose presence they felt would be a per 
 petual reproach to themselves ; and, accordingly, 
 our two hundred friends, with their wives and 
 children, at once began to prepare for their de 
 parture. 
 
 Eliakim a man in the prime of life, with 
 regular features, five feet nine inches high, and 
 withal one of those personages whose appear 
 ance indicates that they can be trusted was 
 chosen as leader, and under his directions the 
 preparations were soon completed. 
 
 Six rude canoes had been built, in which to 
 cross the stream that divided the new Canaan 
 from the continent of what now is called Ame 
 rica; all" the goods, tools, &c. belonging to the 
 emigrants had been packed and conveyed to 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 179 
 
 the boats ; and on a fine sunny morning of the 
 month of August, twenty years after the land 
 ing of the Israelites in the promised land, our 
 wanderers, numbering with their wives and 
 children about five hundred souls, left New 
 Samaria and crossed over to the continent. 
 Arrived here, they erected tents, and resolved 
 to rest for some time, in order that they might 
 deliberate on the course they meant to pursue. 
 Night was coming on when the camp was 
 ready. Our travellers, therefore, set to work to 
 prepare their evening meal ; and, when that was 
 partaken of, they laid themselves down to rest. 
 The labors of the day had been very fatiguing : 
 the emigrants, therefore, were soon fast asleep, 
 ! and it was late the following morning when they 
 awoke. 
 
 After a frugal morning meal had been prepared 
 and partaken of, Eliakim appointed some of the 
 younger and more robust of his followers to 
 accompany him, while he set out to hunt and 
 to explore the interior of the country. The 
 weather was splendid : not a cloud was visible 
 in the skies, and a lively breeze tempered the 
 heat of the sun. 
 
180 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 Our hunters had proceeded but a short dis 
 tance when they came to a lovely dale, that 
 was traversed by a small stream, whose waters 
 were clear as purest crystal, and whose green 
 banks seemed to be the rendezvous of innume 
 rable flocks of game, from the stately deer to 
 the tiny rabbit, which were quietly feeding and 
 gambolling on the greensward. 
 
 The appearance of our party seemed to excite 
 the curiosity of the animals to the utmost; but 
 beyond that the latter evinced no emotion. It 
 was evident that they had never before seen a 
 human being, and that they regarded them only 
 as a new species of their kind. The men had, 
 therefore, no difficulty in securing alive as many 
 of the quadrupeds as they wanted, and even their 
 doing this did not disturb the rest, who quietly 
 continued to feed and to gambol. 
 
 After spending some time in their new occu 
 pation, Eliakim despatched some of his followers 
 with the captured animals back to the camp, 
 where they were to direct their friends to cage 
 and feed the game, and kill them only as they 
 might be wanted. In a short time the mes 
 sengers returned; and then the entire party re- 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 181 
 
 sumed the journey, taking along with them a 
 fat buck, to serve them as food. When evening 
 came, they had travelled over a considerable 
 extent of country, through deep forests and 
 lovely vales; and then they halted, and, after 
 lighting their camp-fires, cooked some small 
 game they had killed on their march, after 
 which they lay down to sleep. 
 
 The next morning the journey was resumed; 
 and so they travelled on, hunting and exploring 
 the country. Game and all kinds of nutritious 
 fruit they found in abundance ; and eight days 
 after their setting out our wanderers returned 
 to the camp of their friends, whom they found 
 in good condition and high spirits. 
 
 Eliakim now informed the Israelites of the 
 result of the exploration, whereupon it was de 
 cided to move on; and the morning after the re 
 turn of the hunters saw the entire party once 
 more on the journey. Of the animals that had 
 been caught by Eliakim and his companions, a 
 great number were still alive ; and the Israelites 
 had succeeded in taming them to such an extent 
 that they could be used for carrying part of their 
 luggage. 
 
 1 
 
182 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 By following a southwesterly course, our 
 wanderers at length canie to the banks of a 
 mighty river; and here they resolved to build 
 a city. Stone and wood they found in abun 
 dance; and, as there were some skilful mechanics 
 among them, who possessed a good store of ex 
 cellent tools, the foundation of the town was 
 soon laid, and then the work proceeded in good 
 earnest. 
 
 One day, while the workmen had built a fire 
 and were preparing their dinner, some stones 
 had been left in the fire; and when, after the 
 meat was cooked, the men threw water on the 
 flames to extinguish them, they, to their sur 
 prise, saw the stones fall to pieces and crumble 
 into dust, which, by uniting with water, was 
 soon dissolved into a paste. This paste again 
 mixed with the ashes and sand lying around; 
 and, after stirring this mixture, the laborers 
 produced a cement which they at once saw 
 would be of great use to them in building their 
 houses. 
 
 The men now set to work to collect as many 
 of these stones as they could find, and, after 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 183 
 
 burning them thoroughly, found themselves in 
 possession of an excellent mortar. 
 
 And now the building was continued, and, 
 after ten years of hard labor, the city was 
 finished. 
 
 Great were the rejoicings of the Israelites 
 when they beheld the mighty work of their 
 hands, whose ruins, when they were discovered 
 centuries afterward, excited the wonder and 
 admiration of the world. 
 
 But not long did our wanderers enjoy the 
 possession of their new home. 
 
 The spot where the town had been built was 
 very swampy, and soon proved to be so un 
 healthy that the inhabitants found that they 
 either must remove, or else expect a speedy ex 
 termination. 
 
 Accordingly, one fine morning, about one year 
 after the city had been finished, the Israelites 
 packed up their movables and set out to find 
 another and healthier spot, where they again at 
 once set to work to lay out and build another 
 town. But this, too, was abandoned soon after it 
 had been finished, as our wanderers had by this 
 time become so accustomed to a roving life that 
 
184 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 they could not be persuaded to stay in any one 
 place, and, as the raising of cattle, of which 
 they had succeeded in catching and taming a 
 good stock, had become their principal occupa 
 tion, it was desirable to find the best pasture, 
 and to leave the ground when that began to give 
 out. 
 
 And thus it happened that several towns 
 and hamlets, the colossal ruins of which have 
 been discovered in later centuries, when they 
 excited the wonder and admiration of the world, 
 were alternately built and abandoned. 
 
 But we now must leave the wanderers in 
 their rambles through the country, and return 
 to the city of New Samaria, with the inha 
 bitants of which place rests the sequel of our 
 history. 
 
 We left Nahum, Harim, and their followers 
 in their new city, where they continued to live 
 in licentiousness and iniquity, after the manner 
 of the heathens. 
 
 Mishael, the son of Nahum, was twenty years 
 old, while Deborah, Harim's daughter, had 
 reached her eighteenth summer. Both had 
 grown exquisitely beautiful; but the examples 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 185 
 
 of their parents and neighbors had corrupted 
 their hearts. 
 
 Nahum and Hermione, as well as Harim and 
 Tamar, had by this time become the parents 
 of many children, all of whom, after reaching 
 a certain age, were allowed to live together with 
 out the least restriction ; and so it had happened 
 that Mishael and Deborah had already become 
 parents, without being united in the holy bands 
 of matrimony. 
 
 16* 
 
186 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE GHOSTS, AND THE SOLEMN WARNING. 
 
 AGAIN five years had elapsed. Nahum and 
 Hermione had witnessed the birth of many 
 grandchildren, and the teachings and warnings 
 of old Ezra had long been forgotten. 
 
 The Israelites had now become so hardened in 
 iniquity that not a vestige of their former re 
 ligion was to be found among them. 
 
 Every house in New Samaria had its images 
 and idols, before whom the inhabitants burned 
 incense and sacrificed the blood of their own 
 children. The temple had been changed from 
 the house of Jehovah to the temple of Moloch, 
 and the latter was served by twenty priests, 
 whose licentiousness beggared all description. 
 In short, New Samaria had become an abode of 
 vice. 
 
 It was a lovely morning in the month of June, 
 and the city was decked out with all the pomp 
 of a heathenish festival. 
 
fi 
 
THE FIRST OP THE RED MEN. 187 
 
 That day the image of Moloch was to be borne 
 through the principal streets of New Samaria 
 in solemn procession. That day was set apart 
 for the great sacrifice. A virgin, whose person 
 had not been polluted by the touch of man, 
 was to be dedicated to the idol. Abominable 
 mockery ! 
 
 Very few there were among the maidens of 
 the city who had remained pure amid all the 
 bad examples, all the licentiousness, that sur 
 rounded them. 
 
 But those few were among the bravest and 
 the best ; and they were therefore chosen by the 
 accursed priests of Moloch to minister to their 
 own infernal lust, to their own beastly desires. 
 
 It was to be decided by lot, drawn by the 
 priests themselves, which of the poor girls 
 that had been branded as pure was to be the 
 victim. 
 
 I say that had been branded as pure ; for in 
 those days it was regarded a crime for a maiden 
 to be chaste after reaching the fifteenth year; 
 and so severe were the heathenish statutes made 
 and most rigorously enforced by the priests, that 
 the king himself would not have dared even to 
 
188 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 murmur if one of his own children had been 
 selected for the sacrifice. 
 
 And now the doors of the temple were thrown 
 open, and, preceded by a band of music, the 
 twenty priests of Moloch emerged into the street, 
 clad in their gaudy robes of office. After them 
 came twenty-five young girls dressed in red 
 skirts, while their bosoms down to the waist 
 were left naked. Long hair, black and glossy 
 as the raven's wing, fell in numerous ringlets 
 down on their snowy shoulders, while in their 
 hands they bore wreaths and bunches of rare 
 flowers. 
 
 Then followed a closed carriage drawn by 
 twelve youths, whose dress consisted of a pair 
 of short scarlet pantaloons, the other part of the 
 body being left naked, like the bosoms of the 
 girls preceding them. 
 
 Within the carriage, dressed in white, and their 
 faces covered with thick veils, were seated six 
 young girls, whose ages varied from sixteen to 
 eighteen years, and who were the only ones 
 to be found in New Samaria deserving the ap 
 pellation of virgin. And as a reward for this, 
 as a reward for the constancy and fortitude 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 189 
 
 with which they had withstood all temptations, 
 they were now being borne to the sacrifice. 
 
 One of their number was destined to become 
 the property of the most licentious rascals in all 
 the city, to become the slave, the victim who, 
 though ostensibly a sacrifice to the heathen deity, 
 in reality was to minister to the beastly lust 
 of the accursed priests, and who, after their 
 devilish desires were satiated, was doomed to 
 perish by the most miserable of all deaths, that 
 of starvation. 
 
 Following the carriage came the king and the 
 queen, accompanied by Harim and Tamar, and 
 followed by the officers of the royal household, 
 all of whom wore their uniforms of state. 
 
 Next were the young men and women, attired 
 in the most shameless manner ; and at last came 
 the aged and feeble, closing the procession. 
 It was a disgusting sight to behold how the 
 latter tried, in manner and dress, to imitate the 
 levity and wantonness of their sons and daugh 
 ters. 
 
 Nahum the king, and Hermione his queen, 
 were clad in their royal robes; but their faces 
 wore sad and desponding looks. 
 
190 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 In the wagon before them, and among the six 
 maidens one of whom was to be the victim, sat 
 Talmai, their best-beloved child, their hearts' 
 idol; and a dark presentiment had already told 
 them that she of all was destined for the sacri 
 fice. 
 
 In vain had the king exerted all the influence 
 of his high station to ward off the blow from the 
 head of his devoted darling. But, alas ! he 
 himself had led his people in the way of the 
 heathens, and now, according to the custom of 
 all heathenish nations, the priests of their first 
 deity had become all powerful with the inhabit 
 ants of New Samaria. 
 
 Hermione had humbled herself into the dust, 
 she had fallen on her knees before the high- 
 priest of Moloch, to implore his mercy. Yain ! 
 vain ! That hoary-headed libertine knew that 
 he should be the first to possess the poor victim; 
 and Talmai was so beautiful ! 
 
 At last both parents saw that all earthly hope 
 was gone, and in despair they even turned their 
 eyes heavenward : they implored the help of 
 the God of their fathers, they vowed to return 
 from their evil ways. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 191 
 
 But how could they expect that offended Je 
 hovah would listen to their prayers? 
 
 And now they beheld the beginning of the 
 end. They had seen their beloved daughter 
 forced out of their midst by rude hands, they 
 had seen her led, or rather dragged, to the temple, 
 they had seen her thrust into the carriage with 
 her unfortunate companions, and now they saw 
 her borne on to her final doom. 
 
 But to return to the procession. With mea 
 sured steps the priests of Moloch, bearing the 
 image of the idol in their midst, and their fol 
 lowers, strode up the principal street of New 
 Samaria, on to the first altar, that had been 
 erected in front of the royal palace. 
 
 Here the image was set down, and the priests 
 formed a semicircle. Then the twenty-five half- 
 naked girls mentioned above, and who bore the 
 then proud title of "Daughters of Moloch," 
 stepped forward, and, while the music struck up 
 a half-wild, half-solemn strain, they began to 
 dance around the idol. At first their steps were 
 slow and measured ; but the music grew wilder, 
 and the movements of the girls became quicker, 
 while their bodies were contorted in the most 
 
192 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 vulgar and indelicate manner. But wilder and 
 wilder the music sounded, quicker and quicker 
 grew the vulgar dance, until at last this and the 
 contortions of the bodies were frightful to behold. 
 After a while the maidens could hold out no 
 longer, and one after another they fell down in 
 utter exhaustion. 
 
 Then the carriage was drawn forward, the 
 doors were thrown open, and the six virgins 
 were forced to alight. They were led to the 
 image and there compelled to throw themselves 
 flat on their faces. While they were in that 
 posture, a young man, who had acted as coach 
 man, and who, with the exception of a flame- 
 colored sash tied around his loins, was entirely 
 naked, sprang from his seat and came forward. 
 
 " Mighty god of this great and glorious na 
 tion," he said, " in these maidens, who now lie 
 prostrate at thy feet, thou beholdest those who 
 have been deemed worthy to be sacrificed on 
 thy altar. 
 
 " Before long the lot will have decided which 
 of them will be chosen by the great Moloch for 
 his own. 
 
 " Guide the hands of thy holy priests when 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 193 
 
 the lots are drawn, that she who is the purest 
 and best may indeed be selected." 
 
 All the girls now arose. The six virgins were 
 made to kneel around the image, and then the 
 twelve youths, led on by him who had acted 
 as spokesman, came forward. The band again 
 began to play ; but the strain had lost its half- 
 solemnity, and now it burst forth in unbounded 
 wildness. The " Daughters of Moloch," who by 
 this time had entirely recovered from their ex 
 haustion, joined the young men; and now began 
 one of those wanton and bacchanalian dances 
 which fortunately Christianity and civilization 
 have banished forever, unless, indeed, they should 
 yet exist in some of the lowest dens of iniquity 
 of our own days. 
 
 Soon the excitement of the dancers infected 
 the rest of the multitude : first the young men 
 and women, and finally even the old and feeble, 
 rushed forth to join in the shameless orgies. 
 
 The king and his queen had hitherto pre 
 served their dignity : the anxiety for their be 
 loved child which gnawed on their hearts had 
 made them insensible to all that surrounded 
 
 them ; and, following their example, their com- 
 
 N ir 
 
194 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 panions had also remained quiet. But now the 
 general excitement exerted its influence even 
 here, and, forgetting all else, Nahum, Hermione, 
 Harim, Tamar, and their followers, joined in the 
 wild dance. 
 
 A piercing shriek went up from under the 
 veil that hid the pale but lovely features of 
 Talmai who, like her unfortunate companions, 
 was forced to look upon that disgusting spec 
 tacle when she saw her father and mother, old 
 and feeble though they had grown, rush forth 
 in mad excitement. 
 
 The king's daughter and her five virgin friends 
 had been among the pupils of good old Ezra, 
 and his teachings had produced the desired re 
 sult in the pure hearts of the six children. 
 Gladly would that faithful priest have taken his 
 darlings out of a city whose inhabitants, he saw, 
 would sink deeper and deeper until some fearful 
 and final doom should terminate their existence. 
 But they were too young then to be taken 
 away without the consent of their parents; and 
 that, of course, was not to be obtained. 
 
 Yet the hearts of the girls were stronger, and 
 his teachings had taken deeper root, than Ezra 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 195 
 
 had hoped; and, despite all the licentiousness of 
 their friends and neighbors, they had preserved 
 their purity. 
 
 And this had not been all the consequences 
 of the good old man's admonitions. There 
 were in New Samaria two young men who also 
 had been among the disciples of Ezra, and who 
 also had been steadfast enough to preserve their 
 hearts pure. 
 
 Omar, son of Nahum, a young man of twenty- 
 one years, was an exact counterpart of what his 
 father had been when I first introduced him to 
 my readers. The strength of his frame was, of 
 course, not so well developed as that of his sire 
 at the time I speak of; yet the cut of the features 
 was the same, while his appearance in general 
 justified the belief that with the coming years 
 the son would grow even stronger than the 
 father. 
 
 Omar's friend and companion, Gad, was the 
 son of Korah, one of the higher officers of the 
 king's household. He was now twenty-five 
 years old; and he too, like the majority of his 
 countrymen at that time, was a young man of 
 
196 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 a stately form and with regular and well-cut 
 features. 
 
 These two young men did not share in the 
 idolatry and licentiousness of their neighbors. 
 They had not joined the vulgar procession of the 
 day, but had met at the house of old Isaac, a 
 firm friend and adherent of Ezra, but whose age 
 and infirmities had not allowed him to accom 
 pany that good man on his emigration; and, as 
 for the present the priests of Moloch did not 
 covet the possession of the two friends, they had 
 been allowed to do as they liked. 
 
 Meanwhile the vulgar dance around the image 
 in front of the king's palace had reached its 
 climax, and the dancers began to sink down, one 
 after another, in sheer exhaustion. 
 
 The six virgins, although compelled to look 
 upon that most disgusting spectacle, had thus 
 far been permitted to retain their thick veils; 
 and this they regarded as a great blessing, for 
 thus the blushes that suffused their faces at 
 sight of the indecent contortions and exposures 
 were hidden from the libertine gaze of the gaping 
 crowd. 
 
 But now the priests rushed forward, half mad 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 197 
 
 with passion. Like so many demons, they stood 
 around the trembling maidens, and with rude 
 hands tore off the protecting veils, to glut 
 their blood-shot eyes in the charms of their 
 victims. 
 
 The extreme and commanding beauty of Tal- 
 mai, who had just finished her sixteenth year, 
 and whose graceful, well-rounded, and faultless 
 form towered high over her companions, kindled 
 a fire in the breast of that hoary-headed high- 
 priest, whose hair and beard had been whitened 
 by more than fifty winters, of such intensity 
 that he mentally swore to possess the king's 
 daughter, cost what it might; and from that 
 moment the doom of the poor girl was sealed. 
 
 But this was not all. The sight of so many 
 handsome faces, their beauty heightened by the 
 blushes that overspread them on so suddenly 
 and unexpectedly becoming exposed to the gaze 
 of men, had completely maddened the licentious 
 priests; and it was forthwith resolved that one 
 victim would not be sufficient to satisfy the 
 cravings of their passion, and that at least two 
 of them should be demanded. 
 
 Adah, the daughter of Aaron, another high 
 
 17* 
 
 
198 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 officer in the king's household, was in her eigh 
 teenth year. She had been brought up with 
 Talmai, and the similarity of their characters 
 and inclinations had made the two girls fast 
 friends. 
 
 Adah was not so tall as her friend, nor was 
 her beauty so intense and commanding: still, 
 she was very handsome, and the faultless cut 
 of her features was of that style that appeals 
 directly to the senses. 
 
 After Talmai, she was the handsomest of the 
 six virgins; and therefore, when the priests re 
 solved to demand two victims instead of one, 
 her doom also was sealed. 
 
 And now the veils of the virgins were re 
 adjusted, for the multitude, who in their excite 
 ment had danced and jumped until their senses 
 reeled, and who therefore had seen nothing of 
 the doings of the priests, began to recover from 
 their exhaustion. 
 
 When all had been restored to consciousness, 
 the priests came forward, and, in solemn mock 
 ery, threw themselves down before the altar in 
 pretended prayer. After a little while they 
 arose, and, ascending a platform that had been 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 199 
 
 erected on one side of the altar, the high-priest 
 said, 
 
 "Sons and daughters of Moloch, we have 
 once more met to perform that great, that 
 solemn duty which we owe to our mighty 
 god! 
 
 " My heart bleeds, and these tears, that I am 
 not ashamed to shed, are witnesses to the sin 
 cerity of my grief; but duty compels me to 
 stifle the emotions of my heart. These virgins, 
 who have been found worthy to become a 
 sacrifice to the great Moloch, are themselves the 
 cause of their present affliction : they have lived 
 so that they have become unworthy to live 
 among us, and therefore our merciful god has 
 chosen them for his own, as he in his greatness 
 would disdain to possess what man had enjoyed 
 before him. 
 
 " But, whatever else may have been the con 
 duct of these maidens, they are daughters, and 
 have never been remiss in their filial duties ; and 
 it is in behalf of their afflicted parents that my 
 heart bleeds, that these tears are shed. 
 
 "0 my brethren and sisters, my sons and 
 daughters, it is hard to be the performer of so 
 
200 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 great a sacrifice; but my office demands it, and 
 the good Moloch will strengthen my feeble arm, 
 blind my tearful eyes, and steel my bleeding 
 heart in the execution of my work. 
 
 "As I did five years ago, so shall I to-day, 
 spare you the sight of the bloody spectacle ; and 
 when you hear the solemn tolling of the bell on 
 yonder temple, know that the sacrifice will have 
 been performed." 
 
 Here the speaker ceased, to observe the effect 
 his words had produced on his hearers. 
 
 He knew that he must proceed with the 
 utmost caution; for, although the inhabitants 
 of New Samaria had completely turned from 
 the God of their forefathers and adopted the 
 statutes of the heathens, they had stood aghast 
 when, five years before, just after the departure 
 of Ezra and his followers, the priests of Moloch 
 had proposed the cold-blooded murder of a 
 grown maiden as a sacrifice to the idol, and all 
 their arts and persuasions had hardly enabled 
 them to obtain the consent of the people. 
 
 Fortunately for them, their first victim had 
 been a poor, unprotected creature without parents 
 or friends ; but the plan they had formed, in their 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 201 
 
 unholy passion, to have the thing repeated every 
 year, they dared not bring into execution; and 
 therefore, after the minds of the populace were 
 thoroughly sounded, it had been determined 
 that the great sacrifice should be performed 
 every five years. 
 
 The wily priests were well aware that they 
 must not proceed too hastily to gain their end, 
 but bide their time; and, while they congratu 
 lated themselves on having obtained the con 
 sent of the people to the first step in the de 
 sired direction, they had no doubt that in time 
 they should be able to lead them at will. To 
 have an object wherewith to satisfy their beastly 
 desires during the intervening space of five 
 years, they had put their first victim into a 
 lofty, well-aired, under-ground apartment, con 
 structed by themselves for that purpose, and, 
 while they had partaken but sparingly of the 
 fruit in their possession, they had done all in 
 their power to preserve the charms of the poor 
 girl. But now she was to be cast aside; and 
 already on the day preceding the procession 
 had she been thrust into a dark and gloomy 
 hole, also constructed by the priests for that 
 
202 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 purpose, in the bowels of the earth; and there 
 they had left her without food or drink. 
 
 But, at the same time, the villains had not 
 been idle in other directions. They had worked 
 hard to fortify and strengthen their power, and 
 now the minds of their followers were pretty 
 well prepared to listen to any atrocity that might 
 be proposed and advocated by them. 
 
 Yet the proposition they were to make on 
 that day was a startling one even to themselves. 
 To obtain possession of Talmai, the king's daugh 
 ter, they thought they could manage well enough. 
 On that score they had no fears. But how to 
 gain the consent of the people to that propo 
 sition to have two victims instead of one was 
 another question; and even the hardened and 
 rascally priests trembled when they thought 
 of the possible consequences. 
 
 Yet their hearts were set on gaining their 
 object, and they had resolved to try it, at all 
 events, come what might. And, therefore, when 
 he had been silent long enough to observe the 
 effects of his words, and when he had seen that 
 the eyes of his hearers were directed to him, 
 and that the latter regarded him with respect 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 203 
 
 and veneration for the tender feelings of his 
 heart, so cleverly depicted in his hypocritical 
 words, the high-priest continued : 
 
 "But, my dearly-beloved friends, Moloch is 
 dissatisfied ! The smell of our last sacrifice has 
 long since evaporated; the nostrils of our "god 
 have become parched, and they have expanded 
 like unto the boundaries of our city! When, 
 last night, I lay on my hard pillow, thinking of 
 my duties and of the prosperity of our people, 
 the mighty prince of unbounded regions appeared 
 unto me in his wrath ! Fire and brimstone came 
 out of his mouth that was terrible to behold, 
 and, in tones of thunder, he threatened to sweep 
 us and our city from the face of the earth if his 
 wrath were not appeased. 
 
 , " Then I took courage, even I, humble and 
 unworthy though I felt in that presence, and I 
 expostulated. But he soon silenced me. 
 
 "' Sacrifice!' he thundered forth. ' Call ye a 
 feeble maiden burnt on my altar at intervals 
 of five years a sacrifice to such as I? The smell 
 of a hundred burning cities like yours would 
 hardly fill the tenth part of one of my nostrils ; 
 and yet I forbear! But if to-morrow's sun does 
 
204 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 not see my wrath appeased, tremble ; for no longer 
 will I spare you!' 
 
 "He then was silent, and I was enabled to 
 speak to him. I spoke of our late errors, and 
 how we had only recently become converted, 
 of our growing attachment to the true faith, 
 and our willingness to serve him; and at last I 
 succeeded in calming him to such an extent 
 that he promised not to withdraw from us his 
 protection, if on this occasion we would sacri 
 fice two virgins instead of one, and repeat the 
 sacrifice every twelvemonth. Then he disap 
 peared. 
 
 "And now, my beloved brethren and sisters, 
 my sons and daughters," concluded the speaker, 
 " I have told you what is expected of us, and what 
 we may expect in return ; and if you ask my ad 
 vice, it is, We must, we will, comply with the 
 request of the great Moloch." 
 
 The sermon was ended, and the high-priest 
 looked around upon his hearers. But they were 
 silent; horror had bound their tongues. The 
 words of the preacher had been so powerful, the 
 horror depicted in his face had been so well 
 feigned, that not one in that vast assembly, with 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 205 
 
 the exception of the six virgins, who had not 
 once looked up to the speaker, doubted the sin 
 cerity of his assertions. 
 
 The poor victims had heard and understood 
 every word uttered by that hoary hypocrite, and 
 their souls had been filled with grief and despair; 
 for not only had their chances of escaping the 
 fearful doom become much smaller, but they 
 were certain now to be sacrificed at last. 
 
 Only the priests rejoiced. They had gained 
 the victory; for they saw by the looks of the 
 people that no objection would be made on that 
 side, and it required all the efforts of their hard 
 ened nature to preserve their wonted dignity and 
 decorum. 
 
 It took some time before the multitude reco 
 vered from the effect produced by the speech of 
 the high-priest; and when, at length, all had 
 become tranquil, that old villain again alluded 
 to the subject, and said, "If no objection is raised 
 among you, I shall consider it my duty to make 
 the sacrifice a double one; but if, on the other 
 hand, any one in your midst be dissatisfied with 
 that, let him come forward; and then let me tell 
 you that I have done all in my power to make 
 
 18 
 
206 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 you follow the right course; and if, after all, iny 
 advice should not be heeded, then beware how 
 you provoke the anger of our god, and on your 
 own heads be the consequences." 
 
 But no objection was raised; and so the affair 
 was settled to the intensest satisfaction of the 
 priests. 
 
 The procession now again formed, the six vir 
 gins were put back into the carriage, and, in the 
 order in which they had come, the multitude re 
 sumed their march to the next altar. Here 
 they went through the same ceremonies that had 
 been performed at the first stopping-place, the 
 sermon only being dispensed with ; and so the 
 procession moved through the entire city, stop 
 ping at twelve different places, where similar 
 altars had been erected, and before each of which 
 the same vulgar and bacchanalian orgies were 
 repeated. 
 
 At last, two hours after noon, the procession 
 returned to the temple, where the people were 
 dismissed to rest and refresh themselves, and to 
 reassemble at the fourth hour, when the lots 
 were to be drawn, and when the victims were to 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 207 
 
 take their last farewell of parents, friends, and 
 the world in general. 
 
 The wagon was drawn into the temple, where 
 it was to be left and watched over by the priests, 
 while the virgins were to remain as guests of 
 Moloch, until that great and divine personage 
 should have indicated, through the lot in the 
 hands of his priests, which of the maidens were 
 worthy to be sacrificed. 
 
 Nahum and Hermione had to be carried home ; 
 for the exertions of the day and their anguish in 
 behalf of their best-beloved child, whom, they 
 now felt, no earthly power could save, had been 
 too much for them, and in a state of utter pros 
 tration they arrived at the royal palace. 
 
 Our two friends Omar and Gad had meantime 
 not left the dwelling of old Isaac, and all three 
 were engaged in an earnest conversation, when 
 the door was unceremoniously opened, and in 
 strode a young man of about twenty-six years, 
 whom they instantly recognized as Abner, old 
 Isaac's son, and in whom we too find a recent 
 acquaintance, to wit, the young man in the 
 flame-colored, sash, who had acted as coachman 
 in the great procession. 
 
208 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 But now he was not naked : he wore the cos 
 tume of the young men of his class, then in 
 fashion, which he had also worn when he went 
 to the temple that morning. 
 
 Abner had not a bad heart ; but he was natu 
 rally wild and reckless. A proper and judicious 
 education would, in all probability, have made a 
 good and true man of him; but, unfortunately, 
 he had been the only son of his father, and his 
 mother had died when he had scarcely been 
 born. 
 
 Old Isaac had loved his wife with a sincerity 
 rarely equalled even in our days of Chris 
 tianity, and, when the cherished partner of his 
 life had died, he had transferred all his love to 
 her first-born. 
 
 And so Abner had been spoiled by indul 
 gence. At first he had joined his fellow-citizens 
 in their heathenish ceremonies out of idle curi 
 osity; but, little by little, he had become 
 pleased with the wild and licentious life, and 
 now he was a firm adherent of Moloch and 
 the teachings of that idol's priests. Yet he 
 loved his father with a sincerity that amounted 
 to veneration, and on no account would he have 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 209 
 
 done an act that he knew would seriously dis 
 please the old man. 
 
 Had Isaac been firm and seriously remon 
 strated with his son, he could easily have led 
 him back to the true faith ; but the father was 
 too weak, and therefore the son sank deeper and 
 deeper. 
 
 When the young man had affectionately em 
 braced his father, and cordially greeted Omar 
 and Gad, both of whom he well knew and much 
 respected, he sat down and related what he had 
 seen at the procession. 
 
 The cheeks of the two friends flushed when 
 they heard that even their old parents had 
 taken part in the shameless dance, but they 
 were silent ; and Abner, who had not perceived 
 the change in their countenance, went on. 
 
 "Although," he said, "the lots are not drawn 
 yet, I can pretty well guess which of the six vir 
 gins are to be sacrificed ; for, as I must inform 
 you, we are this time to have two victims instead 
 of one, as the great Moloch appeared to his high- 
 priest last night and threatened to sweep us and 
 our lovely city from the face of the earth if at 
 
 least two maidens were not burned on his altar. 
 
 o is* 
 
210 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 The priests suppose that nobody knows who 
 really will be sacrificed, and they even pretend 
 to know nothing themselves; but I have had 
 my ears and eyes open, when they believed me 
 absent or asleep, and I can tell you that they 
 will manage the drawing of the lots as it pleases 
 themselves. I pity the poor girls, but then the 
 priests say it must be done ; and so I think it 
 can't be helped." 
 
 Our friends shuddered when they heard what 
 the young man said, yet they did not feel sur 
 prised ; for too well they knew that the priests 
 of Moloch had it all their own way in New 
 Samaria, which name, by the way, had now 
 been changed to New Babylon, and that no 
 power in the city was strong enough to oppose 
 their wishes. 
 
 Omar and Gad had also all along thought 
 that the villanous priests must have had some 
 hidden object of their own in proposing the 
 sacrifice, and they had long wondered why the 
 latter had not demanded more victims from the 
 first. But that the drawing of the lots was 
 managed as the priests pleased, the two young 
 men had never doubted. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 211 
 
 And now they wished to know which of the 
 virgins would be the victims, and so they asked 
 their informant if he would tell them; when 
 that young man, with his usual frankness, said, 
 
 " Mark me : if Talmai, the king's daughter, 
 and Adah, the daughter of old Aaron, are not 
 chosen for the sacrifice, then set me down as a 
 fool." 
 
 At the mention of these two names a deathly 
 pallor overspread the faces of the two friends, 
 and they would have fallen to the floor had not 
 the stout arms of Abner caught them and led 
 them to a seat. 
 
 Omar had long been the secretly affianced 
 lover of Talmai, while Gad had plighted his 
 troth to Adah. 
 
 When the young men recovered from the 
 blow, they wildly jumped up and cried, " No, 
 no ! that must not be ! They are ours, and they 
 must be rescued at all hazards. You, friend 
 Isaac, and you, good Abner, must help us ! By 
 our friendship, by all that you hold sacred, we 
 adjure you ! Stand by us !" 
 
 But Abner sadly shook his head. 
 
 " It would avail you nothing," he said. " The 
 
 
212 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 fate of the two poor girls is sealed, and you 
 cannot alter it. 
 
 " In stratagem and cunning we are no match 
 for the priests, and to attempt force would only 
 subject you to ridicule, if, indeed, the enraged 
 people, who regard their priests as demigods, 
 should not tear you to pieces. 
 
 " No ! I love and respect you, although you 
 are not believers; but this thing cannot be 
 altered." 
 
 And thereupon he strode out of the house back 
 to the temple, even leaving the refreshments his 
 father had prepared for him untouched ; for he 
 could not bear the despairing looks of the 
 friends. 
 
 When he had gone, the two young men turned 
 to old Isaac ; and so desponding were their looks, 
 so prayerful the tones in which they besought 
 the old man to lend them his co-operation, that 
 he could not resist; and, after considering for 
 some time, the father of Abner told them that 
 he had formed a plan by which they might pos 
 sibly gain their object. " But," he added, " it is 
 a bold game you will have to play, and the con 
 sequences may be terrible for yourselves if the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 213 
 
 plan fail : yet it is the only thing that can be 
 done, the only thing that promises the shadow 
 of success." 
 
 Of course the friends were willing to do any 
 thing. What was life to them, if the two maid 
 ens were taken away from them forever ? 
 
 And so they told old Isaac, and then the 
 latter disclosed his plan. But what that was, 
 how it was executed, and whether it had the 
 desired result, the sequel must show. 
 
 In the mean time the fourth hour had come, 
 and the inhabitants, the king and the queen 
 and their friends and followers included, had 
 reassembled in the temple, all curious to know 
 how the drawing of the lots would terminate, all 
 eager to witness the end of the ceremonies. 
 
 And now, one after the other, the twenty 
 priests strode in and went to the altar, while at 
 the same time the six virgins were led forward 
 and made to kneel around it. Six strips of 
 parchment, each with the name of one of the 
 virgins written upon it, were put into a vase, 
 while six beans, of which four were white and 
 two black, were put into another. 
 
 Simultaneously with one of the pieces of parch- 
 
214 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 ment a bean was to be drawn, and the virgin 
 whose name appeared upon the strip was to be 
 free if the bean were white, but to be declared 
 worthy for the sacrifice if the color of the bean 
 were black. 
 
 The two youngest of the priests were blind 
 folded, and then, after the two vessels had been 
 well shaken by the high-priest, the dreadful lot 
 tery commenced under the supervision of the 
 Ias1>named functionary. 
 
 Every breath was hushed in that vast assem 
 bly, while all eyes were turned upon the face of 
 the high-priest in silent expectation. 
 
 And now the arms of the blindfolded drawers 
 were raised: in one hand appeared a strip of 
 parchment, while the other exhibited a bean of 
 dazzling whiteness. 
 
 With a slow movement the high-priest stretched 
 out his arm to take the parchment, and, after 
 deliberately unrolling it, he read, in a monotonous 
 tone of voice, the name of Rebekah. 
 
 A shout went up from the assembled multi 
 tude ; for Rebekah was free, and the people re 
 joiced, forgetting for the moment that among the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 215 
 
 remaining five there were two whose doom was 
 irrevocably sealed. 
 
 She who bore that name which had just been 
 uttered by more than a thousand tongues, had 
 fallen down and fainted; the emotions of her 
 heart had been too much for her, and, while the 
 people rejoiced at her good fortune, she lay in 
 utter oblivion. 
 
 But at a nod of the high-priest, four stout 
 young men came forward : the form of the in 
 sensible maiden was raised and borne out of the 
 temple, while the arms of the two blinded priests 
 again descended. 
 
 Again a piece of parchment and a white bean 
 were drawn, and this time the high-priest, in 
 his monotonous voice, pronounced the name of 
 Dinah, another of the six virgins. 
 
 Again the people rejoiced, again the liberated 
 maiden fell down and fainted, and she too was 
 taken up and carried out of the temple. 
 
 Then the drawing of the lots was resumed for 
 the third time, and resulted as the two preceding 
 ones, the name that was now pronounced by the 
 high-priest being that of Keturah, who, when 
 she heard that she was free, also fainted from 
 
216 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the excess of her emotions, and was also carried 
 away. 
 
 Now there remained only one white bean, 
 only one single chance for the three remaining 
 victims ! Nahum, Hermione, and Aaron had 
 become fearfully excited : their children stood 
 on the brink of a terrible abyss, and no earthly 
 power seemed able to prevent their falling down. 
 The three maidens sat motionless, erect as so 
 many statues cut out of stone, not a sign, not 
 a breath, indicating that there was yet life in 
 their motionless forms. 
 
 And now the blindfolded priests once more 
 put their hands into the vases : slowly and de- 
 liber ately the two arms went up, and the last 
 white bean glittered in the air. Solemnly the 
 high-priest lifted his arm to take the parchment, 
 slowly was it unrolled, and in deep tones the 
 name of Zilpah sounded from the lips of the old 
 villain. 
 
 The liberated virgin lay fainting at the foot 
 of the altar; but no rejoicing shout went up 
 from the multitude, and all eyes were directed to 
 the spot where the king, the queen, and Aaron, 
 the king's officer, lay on the floor broken down 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEtf. 217 
 
 and senseless. The blow had fallen on them 
 like a thunderbolt, and like the lightning's flash 
 had prostrated them where they stood. 
 
 Talmai and Adah had not fallen down : the 
 blow had been too hard, and it had taken away 
 their reason. Jehovah had taken compassion 
 on the suffering innocents, and in his mercy had 
 spared them the consciousness of their terrible 
 and hopeless situation. For the moment all was 
 confusion in the temple, and the people began to 
 think that the end of the ceremonies would be 
 postponed. But in this they were mistaken. 
 The priests were too eager to clutch their prey, 
 which they felt sure they could easily restore to 
 .reason and consciousness. 
 
 In a little while Nahum, Hermione, and Aaron 
 were lifted up and restored to life, whereupon 
 they were put on chairs that had been brought 
 forward for the purpose. Then the two stoutest 
 priests came forward to the still kneeling vic 
 tims and raised them on their feet. The poor 
 girls had been bereft of reason, as we have seen 
 above, and therefore they offered no objection to 
 the doings of the villains. They did not even 
 shudder at the indelicate touches ; but, like 
 
 19 
 
218 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 machines, they allowed their movements to be 
 directed at the will of their taskmasters. 
 
 And now they were to be unveiled, they were 
 to be divested of their clothing ; for in a state 
 of entire nudity they were to take their final 
 farewell of their parents, friends, and the assem 
 bled multitude. 
 
 Already the hands of the priests were stretched 
 out to tear down the veils which hid the fea 
 tures of the two virgins; but the next moment 
 the two villains recoiled and fell down on the 
 floor. 
 
 A flash of lightning, so intensely vivid that 
 for the moment the temple was illuminated to 
 its farthest corners, as if the noonday sun had 
 descended from his sphere and come into the 
 building, had suddenly shot right into the faces 
 of the two rascals, and, besides prostrating them 
 at the feet of their companions, it at the same 
 time revived the reason of the two maidens, 
 who now stood quite conscious again, but silent 
 and awe-stricken, like the rest of the assembled 
 multitude. Immediately after the flash of light 
 ning there came a crash of thunder, as if ten 
 thousand cannon had been fired in one simulta- 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 219 
 
 neous discharge, and now the heavens grew black 
 as Erebus. Flash followed on flash, while the 
 thunder crashed in one continuous roar. Then 
 came a flash more vivid than all the rest, followed 
 by a peal of thunder that made the very earth 
 tremble, and shook the temple to its foundation; 
 and a moment later a bright flame shot up in 
 front of the edifice and illumined the interior. 
 The lightning had struck one of the ancient 
 trees that stood near the door, and set it on fire. 
 At the same time the portals of the temple were 
 thrown open, and in came two persons, dressed 
 in snow-white garments. The first of these 
 persons an old man with bald head and long, 
 flowing beard, whose features closely resembled 
 the features of old Mordecai strode boldly for 
 ward, followed by his companion, whose fair 
 face and light, airy form gave him the appear 
 ance of an angel of the Lord. 
 
 The two seemingly supernatural beings went 
 straight to the altar of Moloch, while the terri 
 fied priests timidly drew on one side, and then 
 the visitors raised the white sticks they bore in 
 their hands, and broke the image of the idol in 
 ten thousand pieces; then they turned to the 
 
220 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 maidens, whose hands they took, as if to assure 
 them of their protection; and now they con 
 fronted the villanous and cowardly priests of 
 Moloch. 
 
 "Villains," said the elder of the two, "das 
 tardly, cowardly villains, your licentiousness, 
 your iniquity, has .at last reached up to the 
 throne of Jehovah, the true God of Israel. 
 
 " We have been sent to put a stop to your 
 wicked and sinful career. Look upon these 
 innocent maidens, whom in your villany you 
 had selected for a fate worse than ten thousand 
 deaths, whom you had selected to minister to 
 your beastly lusts, to satisfy your hellish desires, 
 while you made your poor deluded followers 
 believe that they were to be sacrificed to that 
 miserable idol the broken pieces of which are 
 crumbling under my feet. 
 
 " Begone, ye rascals ! pollute no longer the 
 temple of Jehovah with your presence." 
 
 And with this he and his companion again 
 raised their sticks. But the priests did not await 
 the onset : as if driven by ten thousand demons, 
 they jumped up and fled out of the temple; and 
 they did not rest until they reached a small 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 221 
 
 house near the outskirts of the city, where the 
 underground apartments for the reception of 
 their victims were dug. 
 
 The pretended heavenly messengers had, 
 meanwhile, turned to the assembled people, and, 
 in a solemn voice, he who bore the resemblance 
 of Mordecai said, " Men of Israel ! deeply 
 have ye offended the great Jehovah, Him who 
 in his infinite goodness and mercy led us safely 
 out of the land of our oppressors, over the 
 boundless waters, to this glorious country, where 
 you might have prospered, where you might 
 have prayed to him in his own temple. 
 
 " But you have turned away from the God of 
 your fathers: the temple you erected to him 
 you have desecrated ; you have turned it into a 
 temple of Moloch, the imaginary heathenish 
 deity whose image lies broken beneath my feet, 
 and who has not even the power to punish its 
 destroyer. Your priests are hypocrites and im 
 postors, and you stand on the brink of a fearful 
 abyss. Woe unto you if ye do not return to 
 the only true God of Israel ! 
 
 "Your city shall be destroyed, and you shall 
 be swept from the face of the earth, if you do 
 
222 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 not leave your evil ways. Go to your homes 
 now, and reflect on what you have seen and 
 heard. But these maidens will remain with us : 
 you have forfeited all claims to them : yet no 
 harm will befall them, and if you indeed return 
 to the true God of Israel, they will be restored 
 to you in their purity and innocence, whereas 
 otherwise you will never see them again." 
 
 Now the mysterious visitor ceased, and one 
 after the other the people left the temple, 
 marvelling at what they had seen and heard. 
 Nahum, Hermione, and Aaron indeed made an 
 attempt to join their children, but an imperious 
 gesture of the two "messengers" drove them back, 
 and at last they too left the temple to seek their 
 homes. 
 
 When the last of the lingerers had dis 
 appeared, the pretended ghosts tore off their dis 
 guise and revealed to the gaze of the astonished 
 maidens the well-known and beloved forms and 
 
 features of Omar and Gad. 
 
 # & # % * 
 
 When Abner had left his father's house some 
 three or four hours before, the two friends had 
 implored old Isaac to help them in rescuing 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 223 
 
 the doomed virgins, in terms so supplicating 
 and earnest that the old man could not with 
 stand, and he had formed a plan whereby the 
 young men might possibly gain their object, as 
 we have seen above. The father of Abner 
 knew, as well as his son, that any ordinary 
 stratagem, any ordinary cunning, would be of 
 no avail against the superior craft of the 
 priests of Moloch; and so he came to the con 
 clusion that only by working upon the super 
 stition of the people was any thing to be gained 
 against the wishes and the will of the priests. 
 The old man had of course retained a perfect 
 recollection of the outward appearance of old 
 Mordecai, and so, when Omar and Gad had de 
 clared their willingness to do and dare any thing 
 to liberate the two imperilled maidens, he with 
 the aid of a wig and a false beard disguised Omar, 
 the stoutest of the two, so well that any one who 
 saw him might easily have taken him for the de 
 ceased liberator of the Israelites. Gad, whose 
 light and airy form fitted him exactly for that 
 purpose, was made to resemble an angel of the 
 Lord. Then the two friends provided themselves 
 with white garments and sticks of the same 
 
224 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 color, and, after they had been instructed by old 
 Isaac how to proceed and what to say, they 
 wrapped themselves in large cloaks and sal 
 lied forth to the temple. What, however, the 
 result of their undertaking would have been 
 under any ordinary circumstances is doubtful; 
 but, long before they reached the temple, the 
 storm that had been gathering since noon, 
 and the first fury of which had prostrated the 
 two priests in the temple, burst upon them. 
 Yet so eager were they to arrive in time for the 
 rescue of Talmai and Adah that they did not 
 heed the pouring rain; and scarcely had they 
 reached the entrance to the temple and thrown 
 their cloaks at the foot of one of the old trees 
 that stood near, when a flash of lightning struck 
 that very tree, and set it, as well as the cloaks, 
 on fire. When the thunder-clap came, they 
 pushed open the door and strode boldly in. 
 What followed we have already seen. 
 
 And now we return to the rescuers and the 
 rescued. The lovers had already informed their 
 sweethearts of what we know concerning them 
 selves and their plan, and now they were delibe 
 rating on the course they were to pursue. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 225 
 
 "Here," Omar said, "we cannot stay; while for 
 you, Talmai and Adah, it would be equally dan 
 gerous to return to your homes. For, although 
 the people have been terribly frightened to-day, 
 to-morrow these villanous priests of Moloch 
 will be reinstated in full power; and, believe 
 me, they will soon return to the attempt to get 
 you into their possession. No ! in flight only 
 lies your safety. Perhaps in time our friends 
 may return to the God of their fathers, and 
 then we may return to them. But, if that 
 should not be the case, Jehovah, who has helped 
 and protected us thus far, will help and protect 
 us still farther. 
 
 " At the distance of about a league from this 
 city there is a cave which I accidentally dis 
 covered while out hunting one day; and, as night 
 is fast approaching, we can easily leave the temple 
 and proceed to that shelter under cover of the 
 darkness ; and, while you remain there under the 
 protection of Gad, I shall return to secure and 
 bring away such of your and my own clothing 
 and other property as we may want, a task by 
 no means difficult for me, as I have free and 
 easy access to the households as well of Nahum 
 
226 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 as of Aaron and Korah. I then shall return to 
 you, and we will stay in that cave as long as we 
 can do so with security; while the game and the 
 fruit that abound in that vicinity will not let us 
 want for the necessaries of life." 
 
 To follow this advice, Gad and the maidens 
 saw, was the best thing they could do under exist 
 ing circumstances; and, as night had by this 
 time fairly set in, they all resolved to depart in 
 stantly. The two young men had retained their 
 own clothing when they were disguised by old 
 Isaac; and all they had to do, therefore, was to 
 throw off their white garments and tie them, 
 together with their false wigs and the beard of 
 Omar, into a bundle. The two priests who had 
 been prostrated by the lightning lay stiff and 
 stark where they had fallen, and Omar had 
 contrived to take off their upper garments un- 
 perceived by the maidens. He now wrapped 
 the latter, to protect them against the chill 
 night-air and to hide the snowy color of their 
 dresses, in these ample and dark-hued cloaks, and 
 then the four sallied forth into the street. They 
 met no obstacle in leaving the city, and, under 
 the guidance of Omar who knew his road, they 
 
THE FIRST OF THE BED MEN. 227 
 
 soon reached the cavern. This proved to be a 
 large and airy natural vault; and, after gathering 
 the dry leaves and moss that lay around in abun 
 dance so as to form a soft and comfortable resting- 
 place, the maidens lay down, and soon their 
 eyes were closed in sweet repose. Gad then sat 
 down near the entrance, while Omar returned 
 to the city. 
 
 Here that young man found not the least dif 
 ficulty. In the king's palace, which he visited 
 first, all was consternation and utter perplexity, 
 and nobody questioned or, indeed, even perceived 
 him, when he went straight to Talmai's room. 
 Unperceived he packed up whatever he thought 
 worth taking, and just as unperceived he left 
 the dwelling of Nahum, to repair to his father's 
 house, where he deposited his burden. The 
 same confusion and perplexity existed in the 
 dwelling of Aaron, where he succeeded in securing 
 of Adah's wardrobe and other property as much 
 as he could carry. 
 
 Gad's parents had gone out to visit and con 
 dole with the afflicted Aaron; while the domes 
 tics of the household had also left the dwelling, 
 to gossip with their cronies over the events of 
 
228 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 the day. Here Omar might have carried away 
 all the house contained; but he contented 
 himself with carrying off nearly all that his 
 friend called his own. He then returned to his 
 own dwelling, but his parents had gone to 
 the king's palace, and therefore Omar had it 
 here all his own way. First, he packed up as 
 much of his wardrobe and other things as he 
 wanted to take along with him ; then he tied 
 all the bundles together and went to the stable, 
 where he found his own horse, that had been 
 caught and tamed for him. He put the bundles 
 on the animal's back, and then went into the 
 kitchen, whence he soon emerged with a con 
 siderable bundle of provisions. This he also 
 put on his horse's back, and at last he carefully 
 and deliberately led his beast out into the street, . 
 and, without hinderance or accident, soon was 
 out of the city. About three hours after his 
 departure, the young man had again reached 
 the cavern, where he found Gad, still awake, 
 sitting near the entrance; and now the two 
 friends carried into the vault the goods Omar had 
 brought out of the city, leaving the horse to feed 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 229 
 
 in the luxuriant grass that grew around that 
 spot. 
 
 After this the two young men partook of a 
 hearty supper, and at last they also lay down, 
 and soon fell asleep. 
 
 20 
 
230 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE EARTHQUAKE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 
 
 THE sun had scarcely risen when Omar and 
 Gad arose. Both had been awake in the night, 
 but, without disturbing one another, they had 
 silently reflected on their situation ; and now they 
 sat down to deliberate on what they might do. 
 
 "I think," Omar said, "it would be best for us 
 not to remain here, as there is every possibility 
 of our retreat being discovered; and then, I fear, 
 we would be lost. The people would at once 
 become aware of the imposition played upon 
 them, while the priests would certainly instigate 
 them to resent the insult to their god; and 
 therefore our only safety lies in departing for 
 a region where the inhabitants of New Babylon 
 are not likely to follow. 
 
 " But, still, I believe that for a day or two we are 
 safe : our present retreat is so well hidden that 
 only by accident can it be discovered. And then 
 I am sure that Jehovah, who evidently has been 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 231 
 
 and still is with us, will prevent our enemies 
 from finding us. I, therefore, would advise 
 you to stay here for the present with the maid 
 ens, while I once more return to the city, to see 
 how matters stand there. Possibly our yester 
 day's exploit may have affected the populace in 
 the right direction; and, if so, they may see that 
 they have done wrong, and return to the God 
 of their fathers, in which case we can go back to 
 our parents and friends. But, whatever may be 
 the case, they will, at least, not suspect me, as no 
 one witnessed my last night's departure, and, 
 if the people see me return with my horse, they 
 will most naturally think that I have left the 
 city early this morning. I shall therefore leave 
 you immediately, and stay in New Babylon 
 until I have found out how matters will turn out 
 after yesterday's proceedings. 
 
 "This may possibly take me two days; but, as 
 you are well provisioned, and, as I said before, 
 have nothing to fear for two or three days, you 
 need be under no apprehension; while it is hardly 
 necessary for me to assure you that I shall return 
 as soon as I have found which course will be the 
 best for us to follow." 
 
232 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 Gad could find no objection to this advice, and 
 it was therefore resolved that Omar should do 
 as he had said. 
 
 The friends now returned into the vault, 
 where they found the two maidens just open 
 ing their eyes; and, sitting down, the young 
 men told them what they had resolved upon. 
 Talmai and Adah at once gave their assent 
 to the proposition, and, entreating Omar to 
 return as soon as he could, bade him go imme 
 diately, while they had no fear to stay where 
 they were under the protection of Gad. And, 
 leaving them for a while, we will accompany 
 the son of Harim and Tamar, who at once left 
 the cavern in search of his horse. He found the 
 animal quietly feeding in the luxuriant grass 
 about a stone's throw from the entrance to the 
 cavern, and, jumping on its back, he rode off. 
 He did not take his direction straight to the city, 
 however, but went off farther into the woods, 
 where he soon succeeded in securing some small 
 game, which he slung across his horse's back, 
 and then, as if returning from a hunting-expedi 
 tion, he galloped back to New Babylon. When 
 he rode into the city, he found but few people 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 233 
 
 abroad, the majority of the inhabitants being still 
 sleeping off the fatigue of the previous day, and 
 those whom he met in the streets greeted him 
 cordially, never for once doubting that he had 
 left the town that very morning. 
 
 On coming to his father's house, Omar found 
 every thing quiet and still, and everybody 
 sound asleep. He put his horse back into the 
 stable, and, taking the game he had secured, he 
 went and awoke some of the servants, berating 
 them soundly for their laziness. The aroused 
 menials rubbed their eyes, jumped up, and, 
 seeing their young master, pleaded their yester 
 day's fatigue and the miraculous circumstance, 
 which had kept them awake far beyond their 
 usual hour for retiring, as excuses for having 
 slept so long. Omar declared himself satisfied 
 with this, and, leaving his game in the care of 
 the servants, he went to his room, where, throw 
 ing himself on his bed, he mused over his own 
 and his friend's situation. 
 
 It was the ninth hour of the morning when 
 the young man returned to his father's house ; 
 and about an hour afterward the household began 
 to stir. A little later, Omar was called to join 
 
234 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 his family at their morning meal ; and when he 
 came down he found his parents in a seemingly 
 very much disturbed state of mind. Harim cor 
 dially shook his son's hand, a thing he had not 
 done for the last five years; while Tamar silently 
 embraced and kissed her child, who before, on ac 
 count of his aversion to the heathenish ways of his 
 parents, had been looked upon with rather un 
 favorable eyes. Omar of course regarded this 
 friendly reception as a good omen, and, as the pro 
 ceedings of the previous day soon became the sub 
 ject of conversation, he had the courage to remon 
 strate with his parents against the sinfulness of 
 their previous life. And as all the details of yester 
 day's interruption of the heathenish festival were 
 known to all the inhabitants of the city, whether 
 they had participated in the procession or not, 
 it was not surprising that he too should have 
 been informed of all that had occurred; and 
 therefore he spoke without fear on that score. 
 "Jehovah," he said, "has most significantly 
 shown you that he is God indeed ; or what else 
 could have prevented the consummation of the 
 ungodly sacrifice ? What a glorious sign of his 
 infinite goodness and mercy, to send your de- 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 235 
 
 parted friend and teacher to admonish you to 
 leave your heathenish ways ! Believe me, the 
 two virtuous maidens, whom the wicked priests 
 of Moloch were about to sacrifice, not to their 
 false god, but to their own beastly desires, are 
 safe and well cared for ; and, if our friends do 
 indeed return to the true God of their fathers, 
 Talmai and Adah will be restored to the em 
 brace of their parents. Yes, my dearest father, 
 my most beloved mother, in Jehovah alone there 
 is salvation, in him only must our hopes be 
 centred. And what is he whom you have thus 
 far served, whom you call your god? An image 
 of clay and wood, made by the hands of its 
 villanous priests, which could not even with 
 stand the strokes of a feeble old man, but fell to 
 the ground, broken into ten thousand pieces. 
 And where then was the mighty being whom, as 
 you say, it represented ? Believe me, this being 
 exists only in your imagination ; else why did 
 it not strike the profane destroyer? Not ten 
 thousand Molochs would have been able to harm 
 a single hair on the heads of the two virgins ! 
 But Jehovah spoke, and your idol and its ac 
 cursed priests were dumb. The great I AM sent 
 
236 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 one of his messengers on the wings of lightning, 
 and your souls trembled in awe, while the two 
 maidens went free. 
 
 " my beloved parents, I adjure you by Him 
 who made heaven and earth, return from your 
 evil ways, return to the God of Israel while yet 
 it is time, or else it may be too late, and you 
 will be lost forever !" 
 
 Omar had grown warm while he proceeded, 
 and his parents listened in speechless surprise 
 and wonder. Never before had they heard their 
 son speak so eloquently and fearlessly; and 
 if at that moment it had depended upon them, 
 there is little doubt that the Israelites would 
 have been made to leave their heathenish ways 
 and return to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and 
 Jacob. 
 
 But that was not to be : the tribes of Israel 
 were to be lost forever. 
 
 The morning meal had not been ended, when 
 there came a knock at the door. Harim in 
 vited the comer to enter : the door opened, and 
 in came old Korah, his face wearing a troubled 
 expression. His son had not been at home all 
 night, and was not to be found in the city. All 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 237 
 
 the clothes and other property of the young man 
 had also disappeared, and the father began to 
 fear that his child was lost to him. He had hoped 
 to find him at the house of his friend, or at least 
 to hear there some tidings of the lost one. The 
 former he saw was not the case ; but in the latter 
 he was not disappointed. Omar had indeed seen 
 Gad leave the city on the previous day, and so 
 he told the old man, adding at the same time 
 that his friend had left because he feared the 
 priests of Moloch would try to injure or destroy 
 him, as he was known to be opposed to their 
 teachings and doings; and therefore he had 
 thought it best to depart, for a time at least, 
 promising, however, to return as soon as he 
 should hear that the power of the priests was 
 broken. " And here," the speakel- continued, turn 
 ing to his parents, " you see another of the con 
 sequences of heathenish idolatry. Nahum, our 
 king, and Aaron, already mourn the loss of their 
 children, who have been driven from their 
 homes through the instrumentality of Moloch's 
 rascally priests ; and, believe me, they will never 
 return until you all again acknowledge the true 
 God of Israel. Behold here our good old friend 
 
238 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 Korah : his father-heart yearns for his absent boy, 
 than whom a better and more virtuous son the 
 world never saw. Gad, too, I am afraid, will not 
 jet urn until the accursed priests of heathenism 
 have lost their powerful influence. But, alas ! 
 when will that be? Even I, much as I love 
 my parents and my native city, may yet be 
 obliged to flee before the wrath of these men, 
 who are well aware that I too am opposed to 
 their false doctrines." 
 
 The last part of this speech produced its due 
 effect on the young man's hearers ; and, if Harim 
 had before been determined to leave the ways 
 of the heathens, he and Korah now solemnly 
 vowed to do all in their power to restore the true 
 religion. 
 
 While they Were yet speaking, a messenger 
 of the king was shown into the room, who sum 
 moned Harim and Korah to the royal palace, 
 and the two officers lost no time in obeying their 
 master's will, while Omar who. as an especial 
 favorite of Nahum, had often been allowed to 
 attend the councils of state followed his father. 
 When the trio arrived at the king's palace, they 
 found a great concourse of people assembled near 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 239 
 
 the en trance, all eagerly talking and gesticu 
 lating. Omar, without losing sight of his father, 
 went as near the crowd as he could, when he 
 distinguished the words, "A great wonder, in 
 deed! Truly, truly, Moloch is a great god!" 
 But the disappearance of Harim and Korah 
 within the door of the palace prevented him 
 from hearing more. 
 
 When the new-comers entered the council- 
 chamber, they found the king, surrounded by his 
 officers, seated in the middle of the room, while 
 on a platform, and occupying the chairs of state, 
 sat Shadrach, the high-priest of Moloch, and his 
 nineteen assistants. Omar's heart sank at sight 
 of the latter; for at once he suspected that, so far 
 from having lost their power and influence, they 
 had already contrived, with their usual cunning, 
 to turn the proceedings of the previous day in 
 their favor. And in this the young man was not 
 mistaken. All the king's councillors and officers 
 were now assembled ; and, when every one had 
 been seated, Shadrach arose, and, in a solemn 
 voice, said, 
 
 " Men of New Babylon, rejoice ! for yesterday 
 the great and mighty Moloch showed us that he 
 
240 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 is god indeed ! That flash of lightning which 
 prostrated our two younger brethren was nothing 
 less than the august presence of our lord, before 
 the glory of which his unworthy priests fell to 
 the ground. The two seeming ghosts you saw 
 enter the temple were but insignificant messen 
 gers of Beelzebub, who, being a relentless enemy 
 of our mighty god, tried to sink the latter in our 
 estimation. Yet the great Moloch, in his mercy, 
 forbore : he disdained to crush them : he even 
 permitted them to address you, ay, and to destroy 
 his own holy image. But this last insult was 
 too great ; and, when the last of you had left 
 the temple, the messengers one of whom had 
 borrowed a disguise resembling the long-departed 
 Mordecai were felled to the ground, never more 
 to rise, while our two brethren were raised up 
 and restored to consciousness by our god's own 
 hands ; and here they are to bear witness to the 
 greatness and mercy of Moloch. The two vir 
 gins Talmai and Adah were gathered to the 
 bosom of our divine master, and by him borne 
 to his celestial habitation, he having appeared 
 among us for that very purpose. 
 
 " This morning, soon after the sun had arisen, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 241 
 
 I, accompanied by seventeen of my brethren, 
 repaired to the temple, our hearts sad and de 
 sponding, for even we had begun to fear that 
 the power of Moloch was not so great as we 
 had supposed, when, on coming to the altar, 
 judge of our surprise, we saw the image, bright 
 and glorious, standing in its place, and our two 
 brethren kneeling before it, singing songs of 
 praise, while our two visitors of yesterday lay 
 stiff and cold on the floor. 
 
 "Full of wonder and awe, we rushed back 
 and threw open the doors of the temple, when 
 some of our people, who were in the neighbor 
 hood, came in, and also witnessed what we had 
 
 * 
 
 seen. Our two restored brethren then informed 
 
 us of all that had transpired, and, with the help 
 
 of the people, we buried the corpses, after which 
 
 we hastened to our gracious king's palace, to 
 
 inform our ruler and his councillors of what 
 
 ! had transpired, and to all of which the multi- 
 
 ! tude who are assembled in the court below can 
 
 i bear witness." 
 
 When the high-priest ceased, all present were 
 
 awe-struck, while some of the firmer adherents 
 o. 21 
 
242 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 to Moloch and his priests cried out, " Great is 
 Moloch, and he is god indeed !" 
 
 Had a thunderbolt fallen at Omar's feet, that 
 young man could not have been more astonished. 
 That the villanous priests would do all in their 
 power to defend their idol, as well as themselves, 
 after the occurrences of the previous day, he 
 had not for one moment doubted ; but to hear 
 them utter such a barefaced falsehood he had 
 never expected. But what should he do ? To 
 unmask the hypocrisy of Shadrach, to con 
 vince his hearers that all the high-priest had 
 said was an atrocious lie, he must disclose the 
 deception himself and Gad had played on the 
 people of New Babylon; he must betray the 
 retreat of Talmai and Adah; and that he dared 
 not do. Had his own safety, had his own life, 
 only, depended on the disclosure, he would not 
 for an instant have hesitated ; but he could 
 not endanger the lives of those who were even 
 dearer to him than his parents. Still, his love 
 of truth did not permit him to be silent ; and, 
 after a short hesitation, he arose, and said, in 
 warning tones, 
 
 " Friends and countrymen, believe not what 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 243 
 
 you have heard. A voice within my bosom tells 
 me that all that that priest of Moloch has 
 told you is falsehood ! And, more, were I 
 assured of one thing, I could convince you that 
 you are being grossly imposed upon. I " 
 
 But here the speaker was interrupted by the 
 assembled priests and their friends, who loudly 
 demanded the instant destruction of the unbe 
 liever, while, at a sign from Shadrach, the doors 
 of the council-chamber were thrown open, and 
 in rushed the fanatic people, shouting and 
 crying, "Great is Moloch, and he is our god 
 indeed!" 
 
 When order had in some measure been re 
 stored, the new-comers were asked what they 
 had seen in the temple that morning; and, in 
 the most positive language, they corroborated 
 the statement of the high-priest; while the latter 
 regarded Omar with looks of deadly hatred. 
 
 Our hero now saw that all was indeed lost, and 
 that his last hope had been destroyed. If the 
 bold statement of Shadrach had astonished him, 
 the corroboration of this statement by so many 
 people, whom he could not believe capable of so 
 barefaced a falsehood, absolutely startled him. 
 
244 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 And, in fact, they had but spoken the truth 
 in corroborating the lie of the high-priest. 
 
 When, on the previous day, the terrified priests 
 of Moloch had fled from the temple before the 
 seemingly supernatural visitors, as we have seen 
 in the preceding chapter, they did not stop 
 until they arrived at a small house near the 
 outskirts of the city, which served as the 
 ordinary dwelling-place of Shadrach. Here 
 they locked themselves in, and sat down to talk 
 over the occurrence they had just witnessed 
 and to devise means how this thing might be 
 turned in their favor ; for they naturally feared 
 that, if something to that effect was not done 
 instantaneously, their influence and power would 
 be lost. They deliberated long and earnestly, 
 without coming to an understanding, until at 
 last the youngest member of the fraternity, 
 more cunning than the rest, advised them to go 
 to the temple in the still hour of midnight, 
 when nobody would perceive them, there to 
 gather up and bring away the fragments of 
 the image, and to replace the latter by a similar 
 one that he had seen lying in the vault of 
 the temple. Then they were to disguise the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 245 
 
 two slain priests so as to make them resemble 
 the two ghosts, while they could easily find 
 among their faithful friends and adherents two 
 men who should replace the lost members of 
 their brotherhood, a thing which might be the 
 more easily accomplished as they, the priests, 
 jiever went abroad without putting on a disguise. 
 
 "And after all this is accomplished," the 
 speaker continued, "we will retire to this 
 house, while the two new-made members shall 
 remain kneeling before the image of Moloch, 
 and sing songs of praise, as if in gratitude for 
 their deliverance. 
 
 " Shortly after to-morrow's sun rises, we will 
 return to the temple, and, upon finding all as 
 we shall have left it, we will throw open the 
 doors, and invite all whom we may see in the 
 neighborhood to come in and witness the 
 mighty and wonderful deeds of our great god. 
 By this means we shall make the inhabitants 
 of this city believe that Moloch is indeed a mighty 
 god, and our influence will remain the same, while 
 our power will be strengthened and enlarged." 
 
 This advice met the full approbation of all 
 present, and, when the twelfth hour had come, 
 
 21* 
 
246 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL ; OR, 
 
 they went to the temple. Here they set to 
 work to clear away the fragments of the broken 
 image; and then they descended into the base 
 ment, where they soon found the other statue, 
 exactly like the destroyed one, and which had 
 been made by the priests themselves for any 
 emergency that might render an instantaneous 
 replacement necessary. When the new image 
 had been put on the altar, the priests turned to 
 the corpses of their late associates, whom they 
 found in the place where they had fallen; and 
 here they were surprised to see that the upper 
 garments of both had been removed. 
 
 But there was no time for deliberation as to 
 the cause of this; and therefore the two bodies 
 were forthwith wrapped in white sheets brought 
 for the purpose, the closely-fitting, masks were 
 taken off the faces, and these latter so carefully 
 and well disguised that a superficial observer 
 might easily have taken them for those of the 
 two visitors of the previous day. 
 
 And now the two men who were to be put 
 in stead of the two lost members of the frater 
 nity must be found. Under ordinary circum 
 stances, this would have been a very difficult 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 247 
 
 task; but the wily priests were well prepared 
 for all emergencies. 
 
 The vault, or basement, of the temple was 
 connected by a subterranean passage with a 
 house whose inmates were in the interest of 
 Shadrach and his companions, and where the 
 latter were always sure to find some of their 
 firmest and most faithful friends. 
 
 Thither the high-priest now went, followed by 
 two of his assistants. The passage was a nar 
 row and winding one; but the three men were 
 provided with blazing torches, and so, one after 
 the other, they strode boldly forward, until, after 
 a long walk of nearly half a mile, they came to 
 a stout iron door set deep into a wall. Here 
 they halted, while Shadrach took out of a 
 pocket in his cloak a small key, and, inserting 
 this into the lock of the afore-mentioned door, the 
 latter flew open, admitting the trio into an ordi 
 nary cellar. With this place the high-priest seemed 
 to be well acquainted; for, without hesitation, he 
 went straight to a door opposite to that through 
 which they had entered, and which yielded to 
 a light touch of his hand. The three priests 
 then ascended a short flight of steps thus dis- 
 
248 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 closed, and soon found themselves at the door 
 of a room whence proceeded the sound of 
 many voices. 
 
 Shadrach gave three loud knocks in quick 
 succession, when the door was opened, show 
 ing to our wanderers a good-sized apartment, 
 filled with people of both sexes. On entering, 
 the visitors were cordially, not to say rever 
 ently, received, for they were well known to 
 all present; and here the hypocritical priests 
 of Moloch did not hesitate to lay off their 
 usual solemnity, but showed something of their 
 true colors. After somewhat warmly saluting 
 the young and handsome girls present, in whom 
 we recognize the "daughters of Moloch" who 
 played so conspicuous a part in the grand proces 
 sion of the preceding day, and when they had 
 exchanged friendly salutations with the rest of 
 the assembly, the three "brothers" sat down 
 and took part in the general discussion, which 
 of course turned on the strange and unex 
 pected interruption of the great sacrifice. But 
 when some one expressed a fear that this might 
 hurt the influence and power of himself and 
 associates, Shadrach gayly shook his head, and 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 249 
 
 said, "Be under no apprehension for us, my 
 friends ; for a great and mighty god like Moloch 
 is not easily to be hurt; and we have already 
 learned that it was himself who, in one of his 
 strange moods, created all that disturbance. The 
 two priests, whom you saw fall down, were not 
 killed : they recognized, in the flash of light 
 ning that illumined the temple when they were 
 about to perform their office, the august presence 
 of our great god, and, well aware of their own 
 unworthiness, they prostrated themselves to the 
 ground; whereas the two seemingly super 
 natural visitors were actually stricken down and 
 killed after you left the temple; for even now 
 we saw their corpses stiff and stark at the foot 
 of the altar." 
 
 There was great rejoicing among the company 
 when they heard this, as, for reasons of their own, 
 they would not have relished the downfall of Mo 
 loch and heathenism ; and, after a little further 
 conversation, the priests left by the same way they 
 had come, not, however, before they had ex 
 changed glances with two villanous and sensual- 
 looking individuals, whom they secretly beckoned 
 to follow them. 
 
250 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 When the high-priest, followed by his two assist 
 ants and the two men whom he had selected to re 
 place his lost associates, returned to the temple, 
 he found every thing in order ; and then he in 
 formed the two latter personages that they 
 might become members of his fraternity, if they 
 were willing to fulfil certain conditions, which 
 would instantly be made known to them. The 
 two villains would, of course, gladly do any thing 
 in their power to merit the honor to be con 
 ferred upon them ; for well they knew the in 
 fluence which as priests of Moloch they would 
 share with the rest; and, being led into a circle 
 formed by the priests in front of the altar of 
 the idol, a terrible oath, by which they promised 
 to live only for the interests of the brotherhood, 
 and on no account and under no circumstances 
 to divulge any secret they might become ac 
 quainted with, was administered to them. 
 
 When this was duly taken, the two men were 
 formally installed in their new office, and then 
 Shadrach addressed them, as follows : 
 
 " Brethren," he said, " you are now duly in 
 stalled as priests of Moloch, and it is but right 
 that you should know whom we serve, and what 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 251 
 
 the true object of our life is. Moloch, the great 
 and mighty god, is but a creation of our ima 
 gination, whom we profess to serve, to gain the 
 great object of our life, ease, comfort, and plea 
 sure. When, six years ago, after the departure 
 of old Ezra and his followers, our countrymen 
 turned completely from the religion of their fore 
 fathers and began to follow the ways of the hea 
 thens, I, in company with some others, many of 
 whom are now gone from among us, resolved to 
 turn this to our advantage. We went to work 
 earnestly, and at first secretly tried to win as 
 many as we could over to our new doctrines. 
 We professed to be inspired by dreams, and at 
 last succeeded in introducing our ideas to our 
 entire satisfaction. By flattering the senses of 
 our adherents, we soon gained a powerful in 
 fluence ; and then we slowly but determinedly 
 advanced toward the object we had in view. 
 
 "Ease and comfort we soon found; for scarcely 
 had our new god been fairly inaugurated, when 
 his devotees exerted themselves to make our 
 lives easy and comfortable. But of pleasure we 
 at first found very little : as priests of an almighty 
 and great god, we were expected to lead a sober 
 
252 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 and quiet life, and what little recreation we had 
 we were obliged to seek secretly, and only among 
 those of our friends whom we knew to be faith 
 ful to our selves. Yet this was dangerous. 
 We might be betrayed, and lose all we had 
 gained. It was, therefore, necessary that we 
 should have an object of pleasure within our 
 own exclusive possession ; and we therefore re 
 solved to introduce the annual sacrifice of one 
 or more virgins, whom we of course meant to 
 keep for the satisfaction of our own desires. 
 But in this we met with an unexpected and 
 serious opposition on the part of the people 
 themselves, w^hom this new proposal startled; 
 and, although we at last were successful, we 
 deemed it advisable to be satisfied with one 
 victim, and to postpone the repetition of the 
 sacrifice for five years. 
 
 " But in the mean time our power and in 
 fluence have increased to such an extent that 
 they are now superior to even those of the king 
 himself, and, as you must have seen yester 
 day, we are in a fair way of having things as we 
 desire them. And now, on the very eve of suc 
 cess, we have been thwarted : not only have the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 253 
 
 prizes been taken away from us, but our character 
 and influence are endangered. But these latter 
 must be preserved by all means; and, as our in 
 terest is now your own, I suppose that you will 
 not hesitate to stand by us to the last. That the 
 storm which yesterday so unexpectedly and fa 
 tally interrupted our proceedings was indeed a 
 reality, we cannot doubt ; for our two brethren, 
 whom you saw fall down, were killed by the 
 lightning. But the two seeming ghosts, I am 
 sure, were human beings ; and, if I am not very 
 much deceived, they were Omar, the son of Ha- 
 rim, and Gad, the son of Korah, who have ever 
 been opposed to our doctrines, and whom I have 
 since ascertained to have been the accepted lovers 
 of the two maidens whom we meant to make 
 our own. 
 
 " Still, we are not certain as to that, and there 
 fore we must proceed with the utmost caution. 
 If it really is as I think, the two young men 
 will hold their peace, so as not to betray their 
 complicity in the matter; and all we have to do, 
 therefore, is to make the people believe that Mo 
 loch himself sent the storm and took away the 
 virgins bodily. And if afterward any thing 
 
 22 
 
254 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 should turn up in regard to this affair, we must 
 trust to chance and our own boldness and inge 
 nuity. We must further make the people believe 
 that the two priests, whom you represent, have 
 not been killed, but only prostrated themselves 
 before the presence of our god, and were raised 
 up afterward by Moloch himself, while, as soon 
 as the people had left the temple, the two seem 
 ingly supernatural visitors had been stricken 
 down and destroyed. To that end we have dis 
 guised the two corpses of our fallen brethren in 
 such a manner that they may easily be taken 
 for those whom we want them to represent, and 
 you must stay here in the temple while we 
 return. You must kneel down before the new 
 image and sing songs of praise, as if in gratitude 
 for your providential deliverance. Shortly after 
 sunrise we shall come back again, and on seeing 
 you and the restored image we shall profess to 
 be greatly surprised. We shall run and throw 
 open the doors of the temple, to invite all who 
 may be in the vicinity to come in and witness 
 the great wonder. You must then come for 
 ward, having previously put on the masks and 
 clothes of our dead brethren, and relate to us 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 255 
 
 and the accompanying people how our great god 
 himself raised you up, slew the two seeming 
 ghosts, and afterward disappeared with the 
 maidens. By that we shall make the people 
 believe that Moloch is indeed a great and mighty 
 god, and at the same time strengthen our in 
 fluence and power. Afterward we shall easily 
 be able to get the two young men, whom I sus 
 pect, into our hands, where we will deprive them 
 of all chance of harming us again ; and in less 
 than eight days we will be in possession of all 
 we want for the satisfaction of our desires." 
 
 The new priests were delighted with the pros 
 pects so glowingly depicted by the wily Shadrach, 
 and they of course promised to do their utmost 
 to bring the glorious plan to a successful issue. 
 
 The result of the scheme my readers know. 
 
 We will now return to the council-chamber of 
 the royal palace, where we left Omar nearly para 
 lyzed by what he had seen and heard, with Shad- 
 rach's looks of hatred and malignity still bent upon 
 him. When the statement of the high-priest 
 had been so positively corroborated by the fana 
 tic multitude, not one in the room dared to doubt 
 any longer, and Harim himself, in stern tones, 
 
 
256 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 commanded his son to return home, an order 
 which the young man gladly obeyed; for he saw 
 too well that there was no longer any hope of 
 bringing his fellow-citizens back to the only true 
 God of their fathers. 
 
 Tamar was sitting alone in her own private 
 room, whither she had retired when her husband 
 and son had gone to the king's palace. Her 
 heart was heavy. The occurrences of the pre 
 vious day, and the earnest words of Omar, had 
 made a deep impression on her mind. She began 
 to see that she and her friends were hurrying on 
 to destruction. She trembled when she thought 
 of the daily increasing and fearful power of the 
 priests of Moloch, whom, in spite of all persua 
 sion, she could not believe to be the true god of 
 her people. When, five years ago, the first great 
 sacrifice had been demanded, she had remon 
 strated with her husband; she had even hastened 
 to the king, and on her bended knees had ad 
 jured him not to permit so abominable a thing. 
 
 But Harim and Nahum had then already gone 
 too far. They feared the wrath of the people if 
 the priests of their first deity should be thwarted, 
 and Tamar was told that the sacrifice was 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 257 
 
 necessary. Weak creature as she was, she 
 allowed herself to be persuaded; and, as in the 
 five following years no new demands had been 
 made on the part of the wily priests, she had 
 become tranquil and even reconciled to the hea 
 thenish customs of her countrymen. 
 
 But now the demands had been renewed. They 
 had even become more extravagant than ever, and 
 all had been granted. Tamar shuddered when 
 she saw and heard it ; but she was compelled to 
 look cheerful, and even to participate in all the 
 shameless orgies, in all the mocking ceremonies, 
 of heathenism; for she dared not refuse to follow 
 the example of her husband and the royal pair. 
 
 But when afterward in the temple she had 
 witnessed the discomfiture of the priests and the 
 interruption of the sacrifice, she hastened home 
 to her room : there she sank on her knees, and, 
 in the fulness of her emotions, cried, " Yerily, 
 verily, this was the work of Jehovah !" 
 
 And now her son, whom nearly everybody 
 hated, because he dared to show openly that he 
 was opposed to the teachings and doings of Shad- 
 rach and his confederates, had spoken to her. 
 He, too, had told her that the true God of Israel 
 
 R 22* 
 
258 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 had sent his messengers to prevent the consum 
 mation of the heathenish sacrifice. He had ad 
 monished his parents to leave the ways of the 
 heathens and to return to the true Creator of 
 heaven and earth. "Yes," she said to herself, 
 " Omar will speak to the king with all the fire 
 of his eloquence : he will admonish Nahum to 
 return to the religion of his fathers; and God 
 grant that he may succeed !" 
 
 She was interrupted in her soliloquy by rapid 
 footsteps near the door of her room. The next 
 instant this was opened, and her son, his bosom 
 heaving and his countenance flushed, stood 
 before her. 
 
 "All is lost, dearest mother!" the young man 
 exclaimed, " and I am obliged to leave you, per 
 haps never to return." He then related all he 
 had seen and heard in the king's palace. "But," 
 he added, "every word uttered by that villanous 
 priest is a barefaced falsehood. My true and 
 brave friend Gad and myself were the two 
 seemingly supernatural beings who, inspired by 
 Jehovah, visited the temple to prevent the 
 abominable sacrifice ; and we certainly have not 
 been killed, as Shadrach would make the people 
 
. 
 
 THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 259 
 
 believe. But, alone and unarmed as we were, 
 we should not have been able to do any thing 
 against the misguided multitude had not God 
 himself helped us; and that he has done so, 
 that he slew the two priests who had already 
 stretched out their arms to grasp the innocent 
 victims, is the best proof that he indeed made 
 us the instruments for saving the two maidens 
 from a fate worse than death. 
 
 "And now Talmai and Adah are in security. 
 They are under the protection of Gad ; and it is 
 in their behalf only that I now flee from the 
 wrath that has been kindled against me in the 
 bosoms of Shadrach and his followers. Fain 
 would I stay; fain would I confront the accursed 
 priests of Moloch, to prove the utter falsity 
 of their assertions, and, if still unable to con 
 vince my poor misled countrymen, gladly would 
 I perish a martyr for the glorious cause of Je 
 hovah. But two helpless and innocent maidens 
 claim my protecting arm, and I cannot with 
 hold it. 
 
 "Fare you well, then, dearest mother; and 
 be assured that I shall not forget to pray to 
 Jehovah for the redemption of Israel." 
 
260 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 He then pressed his lips to those of his parent 
 in one long and fervent kiss, and, hurrying from 
 the room, went into the stable, where he soon 
 found his horse, saddled and bridled as he had 
 left him some three hours before. 
 
 To lead the faithful animal out and jump on 
 his back was the work of a moment; and, 
 galloping through the park that surrounded his 
 father's house, Omar soon found himself far on 
 his way toward the retreat of his fugitive friends. 
 
 And well was it that this was so ; for scarce 
 half an hour had elapsed after the young man 
 had left his mother's room, when Harim, accom 
 panied by the priests and followed by several 
 hundred of the firmest adherents of Moloch, 
 made his appearance in quest of his son, whose 
 instant and unconditional deliverance into his 
 hands Shadrach had demanded soon after 
 Omar left the council-chamber, and which de 
 mand, backed by the majority of the king's 
 councillors and the fanatic people, Harim had 
 not had the courage to oppose. But the villan- 
 ous high-priest was again disappointed. The 
 servants had seen their young master leave the 
 house, mount his horse, and ride off; but what 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 261 
 
 direction he had taken, and whether or when he 
 would return, no one could tell. 
 
 Harim had hastened to his wife's room, to 
 see if there he could get better information in 
 regard to the missing young man; but on enter 
 ing the apartment he found Tamar lying on the 
 floor in a high fever, with which she had been 
 seized as soon as her son had left her, and which 
 threatened to end fatally. All now became con 
 fusion and excitement. A physician was sent 
 for, and the female servants of the house were 
 summoned to the assistance of their suffering 
 mistress; while pursuit of the fugitive was out 
 of the question. The man of medicine soon 
 made his appearance; but on seeing the sick 
 woman he ominously shook his head. There 
 was no hope, he said : long-pent-up anxiety must 
 have received a sudden and terrible shock, and 
 all the medicine in the world could not save the 
 sufferer. This was a sad blow to Harim, who 
 loved his wife dearly; and every thing was done 
 to stay the progress of the fever. But all to no 
 avail. Half an hour after the doctor's arrival, 
 Tamar sat up in the bed, whither she had been 
 carried, and, wildly staring around for some 
 
262 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 time, she began to rave in the most incoherent 
 and fearful manner. And an hour afterward 
 the mother of Omar breathed her last in the 
 arms of her husband. 
 
 When the death of Tamar became known in 
 the city, there was a general mourning; for every 
 body had loved the modest, gentle, and benevo 
 lent woman, while many there were who owed 
 to her their present prosperity. Out of respect 
 to the deceased and her husband, all business 
 was forthwith suspended, and when, three days 
 later, the corpse was borne to its final resting- 
 place, nearly all the inhabitants of New Babylon 
 joined in the sad procession. 
 
 Omar, unconscious of the sudden and fatal 
 illness that had befallen his mother, had mean 
 time safely reached the cave where Gad and 
 the two maidens were hidden, and, after securing 
 his horse in a place where the animal was not 
 likely to be discovered, he went to inform his 
 friends of the result of his observations in the 
 city. When he entered the cavern, Gad and 
 the two girls were surprised to see him come 
 back so soon ; but when they beheld the sad ex 
 pression of the young man's countenance, their 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 263 
 
 surprise gave way to anxiety, and, surrounding 
 their returned friend, they eagerly waited for 
 his communication. 
 
 " My dear friends," Omar said, after he had 
 seated himself on a projecting rock, " be strong, 
 and put your trust in the Almighty. All hope 
 of return to our parents and friends is lost, and 
 we must try to forget their existence." The 
 speaker then related what he had witnessed in 
 the king's palace, the barefaced lies which 
 Shadrach had told the people, and how readily 
 the latter had listened to and believed all the 
 high-priest said. " When I had seen and heard 
 all this," our hero continued, " I could hold out 
 no longer, and, jumping up, I denounced every 
 word of the old hypocrite as false. I told our 
 countrymen that, if assured of one thing, (I 
 meant your security,) I would prove all I said. 
 But I was interrupted by the fanatic multitude, 
 while even my father, whom I believed I had 
 persuaded to leave the ways of heathenism, 
 turned against me, and in stern words bade me 
 go home. Shadrach and his associates regarded 
 me with looks of the deadliest hatred, which 
 plainly told me that my doom was sealed if I 
 
264 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 should fall in the hands of those accursed 
 priests; and I am sure that even now the latter 
 are trying to encompass my ruin. 
 
 " But, thanks to God, I have eluded them ; I 
 am once more safe ; and, although I sincerely 
 grieve for our poor deluded parents, I shall forget 
 that besides you there exists a human being 
 who has a claim on my love and affection. We 
 are exiled from the land of our birth, and, trust 
 ing in Jehovah, we must bear our lot. Here we 
 cannot remain, for our retreat might be dis 
 covered, in which case our destruction would be 
 certain; and therefore the sooner we depart 
 hence, the better." 
 
 The young man ceased, while his three friends 
 sat sad and silent. The ties that bound them 
 to their home could not be severed without a 
 struggle, and this struggle was a hard one. 
 
 But all four were endowed with the princi 
 ples of a true religion, and this religion sus 
 tained them in the hour of trial. Talmai was 
 the first to recover her self-possession. Like a 
 heroine of old, she arose, and, with her right 
 hand pointed heavenward, she said, 
 
 " Omar is right ! We must forget all earthly 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 265 
 
 -:.. ' ' - 
 
 ties, and, trusting in Jehovah, we must bear our 
 lot. Let us then depart at once, and henceforth 
 only live for each other." 
 
 The brave example of the speaker did not 
 fail to exert a favorable influence on the still 
 desponding Adah and Gad, and soon all the 
 friends had become reconciled to their fate. 
 Preparations were now made for an immediate 
 departure, and about four hours after the re 
 turn of Omar the fugitives found themselves 
 once more on the journey, accompanied by 
 the horse of the former, loaded with the effects 
 of the wanderers. Our little party now hastened 
 on toward the setting sun, in a direction op 
 posite to that of New Babylon; and after a 
 severe and toilsome march of three days they 
 reached the borders of the stream which divided 
 the island from the continent of America. Well 
 aware that the inhabitants of New Babylon 
 would not venture so far from their city, Omar 
 proposed to stop here, at least until some future 
 
 i events should make a removal necessary; and 
 then the speaker immediately went to explore 
 the neighborhood. At the distance of about a 
 
 i quarter of a mile from where he had left his 
 
 I 
 
266 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 friends, the young man came to a lovely spot, 
 surrounded on three sides by a thick, almost 
 impenetrable, wood, while in front glittered the 
 clear waters of the afore-mentioned stream. 
 Game and fruit existed here in even greater 
 abundance than in the other parts of the island ; 
 while, on closer inspection, the lover of Talmai 
 detected in the background, almost completely 
 hidden by trees and underbrush, a cave, which 
 seemed to be made expressly for a dwelling-place 
 of human beings. 
 
 Full of gladness, and silently thanking Jeho 
 vah for the happy discovery, Omar hurried back 
 to inform his friends of this fortunate circum 
 stance; and in a little while the now happy 
 quartet were snugly and comfortably established 
 in their new quarters. Here they led a pleasant 
 and peaceful life, the two young men doing all 
 in their power to render the existence of the two 
 maidens happy and joyous, while the affection 
 of the latter for their noble lovers and preservers 
 grew from day to day stronger. And thus we 
 shall leave them for some time, while we pay a 
 last visit to the city of New Babylon. 
 
 As soon as the remains of Tamar had been 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 267 
 
 deposited in their last resting-place, the search 
 for Omar and his friend Gad, whose disappear 
 ance had also been discovered in the mean time, 
 was renewed, as now the priests no longer 
 doubted that the two young men were in reality 
 no strangers to the occurrence that for a time 
 had startled the inhabitants of the city and 
 which even had endangered the influence and 
 power of Shadrach and his companions. But 
 nothing could be discovered. The high-priest 
 had sent a party of his firmest friends and adhe 
 rents out of the city to scour the country for 
 miles around ; yet they also failed in finding any 
 traces of the missing. 
 
 The cowardly priests became alarmed; yet 
 they had done all they could, and therefore they 
 had to let matters rest as they were. And now 
 other affairs claimed their attention. The prin 
 cipal object of their life which they had felt 
 sure of when Talmai and Adah were so near the 
 terrible fate which had been assigned them, but 
 which had been frustrated by the interposition 
 of Divine Providence and his instruments Omar 
 and Gad now again became their ruling pas 
 sion. But how to gain this object had be- 
 
268 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 come an almost unanswerable question, and the 
 priests began to despair of its accomplishment, 
 when, at last, the two villains who had been 
 chosen as successors of the slain members of the 
 fraternity proposed a speedy and satisfactory 
 settlement of the affair. "It would be danger 
 ous," the elder of the two said, " to demand a 
 new sacrifice, as we have scarcely succeeded in 
 making the people believe that Moloch has in 
 deed come into possession of the last victims; 
 and all we can do now is to startle the in 
 habitants into the most abject submission by 
 some bold and seemingly supernatural contri 
 vance. My companion and myself have taken 
 this thing into due consideration, and, if you 
 will give us time and not refuse us such co-ope 
 ration as we may require at your hands, we will 
 be able to accomplish our common object." The 
 speaker then went on to unfold the plan of him 
 self and friend, which was nothing less than to 
 personify Moloch himself and his first attendant. 
 By means of wooden legs fastened to the soles 
 of their feet, they would raise themselves to a 
 supernatural height; while they were to bend 
 the bark of some ancient tree into such a shape 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 269 
 
 as to serve the place of a head in conformity 
 with the size of the body. These structures 
 were to be drawn over their own heads and 
 shoulders, and fastened around the waist so as 
 to allow room for the arms while manipulating 
 with brimstone and other combustible materials, 
 all of which were to be ignited and at intervals 
 thrown through the holes which had been cut in 
 place of mouth, nostrils, and eyes. The whole 
 was to be covered with the skins of animals, and 
 suitably adorned with horns and such other 
 articles as would give them the most terrible and 
 unearthly appearance. Then they were to await 
 a dark and stormy night, when the two rascals 
 would put on the disguise just described and 
 sally forth into the streets of the city, indicating 
 their presence by shouts and other vocal noises, 
 which, in consequence of the great hollowness 
 of the bark structure, would assume the most 
 unearthly sound. On hearing these signals, the 
 priests were to come forward in a body, and at 
 sight of the seemingly supernatural visitors the 
 high-priest and his companions were to prostrate 
 themselves on the ground, as befitting them in 
 the august presence of their mighty and won- 
 
 
 23* 
 
270 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 derful god. "I then shall command you to 
 arise/' the plotter concluded ; " after which you 
 must introduce us to the people, leaving the rest 
 to ourselves ; and, if we do not manage the affair 
 to the entire satisfaction of every member of our 
 fraternity, then you may set us down as boasting 
 fools, and do with us as you list." 
 
 The assembled priests fairly trembled with 
 delight when the plan had been unfolded ; for it 
 promised the most complete success ; and they 
 already fancied themselves in possession of all 
 they desired, as a public visit of their great god 
 himself would be certain to dispel all doubts 
 that might possibly linger in the minds of the 
 inhabitants. 
 
 And now they all went to work to procure 
 the desired disguises. Among the brethren there 
 were some skilled mechanics ; and, as they were 
 well provided with all necessary tools, the wooden 
 legs were soon made ; and then some of the rest 
 went to gather bark, skins, and such other arti 
 cles as were required. Twelve days after the 
 plan had been proposed, all was ready. And 
 now the priests impatiently awaited the first 
 dark and stormy night, to try the experiment. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 271 
 
 At length, three days later, the sky became over 
 cast, dark and heavy clouds obscured the light 
 of the sun, and at the seventh hour after noon 
 an Egyptian darkness had settled over the city of 
 New Babylon. All the streets were deserted, 
 the inhabitants having retired into their houses, 
 where, in the midst of their families, they had 
 found a secure shelter from the storm that was 
 raging without. 
 
 But scarcely had they begun to enjoy that 
 comfort and luxury which one is always sure to 
 feel under these circumstances, when they were 
 startled by a succession of the most terrific 
 and unearthly sounds, which seemed to proceed 
 from the clouds that overhung the city. The 
 terror-stricken women and children crouched 
 timidly together, like so many frightened sheep ; 
 while the "lords of creation" stood riveted to 
 the ground, not daring to cross the threshold of 
 their houses. But the sounds drew nearer, 
 until they grew so terrible that the end of time 
 seemed approaching ; while in the midst of this 
 noise some human voices became audible, which 
 seemed to be imploring mercy. And now some 
 of the more courageous men of New Babylon 
 
 
272 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 took heart and went out into the street. But 
 the sight that met their eyes was well calculated 
 to fill them with terror. Two gigantic forms, 
 with heads of monstrous dimensions, and covered 
 with jet-black hair, strode along, their mouths, 
 nostrils, and eyes emitting constant streams of 
 fire and smoke, while the seemingly awe-stricken 
 priests of Moloch went before them, alternately 
 prostrating themselves and imploring their for 
 bearance and mercy in the most abject and 
 piteous tones. The voices of the two monsters 
 now became somewhat less terrible ; and thus 
 the grotesque procession moved on, through all 
 the streets of the city, to the king's palace, where 
 Nahum, surrounded by his frightened officers 
 and councillors, who had hastened thither when 
 they first heard the approaching sounds, stood 
 trembling with fear and apprehension. By this 
 time the people had somewhat recovered from 
 the first shock, and now they were hurrying to 
 the scene of commotion, wondering what it all 
 meant; and when the supernatural visitors 
 reached the royal residence they had been joined 
 by nearly all the inhabitants. 
 
 And now the priests once more prostrated 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 273 
 
 themselves before the monsters, when the taller 
 of the latter, whose head was adorned with two 
 monstrous horns, said, in a hollow and terrible 
 voice, 
 
 " Arise, and do as thou art bidden !" 
 
 Shadrach and his attendants arose, and, turn 
 ing to the king and the assembled multitude, the 
 high-priest said, 
 
 " Mighty and gracious king and countrymen, 
 in these our esteemed visitors you behold our 
 great and all-powerful god Moloch, who, in his 
 infinite goodness and condescension, has deigned 
 to visit us, his unworthy subjects, in company 
 with Tartak, the chief of his hosts. 
 
 " When, about an hour ago, we were in the 
 temple, engaged with our solemn duties, a heavy 
 storm arose, and, borne on the wings of light 
 ning, the two heavenly beings appeared among 
 us. Our divine master came in his wrath : he 
 accused us of infidelity, and threatened to sweep 
 us off the face of the earth, as we had become 
 heedless of his wishes and pleasure. 
 
 "'Five years have elapsed/ he cried, 'and 
 my nostrils had almost forgotten the smell of 
 your sacrifice, when, as if in mockery, two feeble 
 
274 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 maidens were deemed sufficient to atone for your 
 sinful negligence. 
 
 "'Yet I took the virgins to my bosom; but 
 they were a drop of water in the fiery furnace. 
 My parched lips long for the blood of the guilt 
 less : my distended nostrils want the smell of the 
 sacrifice. I have pitied you, I have helped you, 
 I have made you a great and happy people; and 
 what has been your gratitude ? 
 
 "'Verily, I will forbear no longer; and ere to 
 morrow's sun has performed the half of his daily 
 journey I will send my angels to sweep you out 
 of existence!' 
 
 " We stood spell-bound and terror-stricken. We 
 had all along feared that the terrible Moloch 
 would be dissatisfied ; but we had done all in our 
 power to make proper atonement, and so we had 
 begun to hope that our good will would hide the 
 insignificance of our gift. And now we stood 
 trembling before our lord; we prostrated our 
 selves into the dust, and implored his mercy and 
 forbearance. But he did not listen; and, raising 
 his voice like unto the roaring of his thunder, 
 he rushed out into the streets of our city. We 
 followed him, and, prostrating ourselves again 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 275 
 
 and again, we renewed our prayers for mercy, 
 until at last we were heard. Our mighty god 
 assured us of his mercy and forbearance if we 
 would make good what we had neglected. ' And/ 
 he concluded, 'to show you that I indeed am 
 lenient and forbearing, I solemnly declare that I 
 will be content with a single sacrifice for every 
 one of the elapsed five years. Two of your 
 virgins you have given me : to-morrow let the 
 remaining three follow. And now, come, intro 
 duce us to the people; tell them what I have 
 said; and, if they are ready to obey my com 
 mands, I will not withdraw my protecting 
 hand."' 
 
 Shadrach ceased; and then the mouths and 
 nostrils of the two monsters again emitted 
 streams of smoke and fire, while he that personi 
 fied the great Moloch came forward, and cried, 
 in tones of thunder, 
 
 "Insignificant and miserable wretches! ye 
 who have dared to kindle my divine wrath, 
 now ye have heard what my servant has said; 
 and woe unto you if my anger be not appeased! 
 Choose between obeying my mighty will and 
 instant destruction ; for if to-morrow's sun does 
 
276 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 not witness the sacrifice of three of your purest 
 virgins, your doom is irrevocably sealed !" 
 
 Another stream of smoke and fire indicated 
 that the great Moloch's speech was ended; and 
 the people of New Babylon stood spell-bound 
 and awe-stricken. 
 
 The terrible Moloch was no longer an uncer 
 tainty : there he stood before them, and out of 
 his own mouth they had heard what they might 
 expect if his divine will was disregarded. All 
 were silent: naught was heard save the hard 
 breathing of the multitude; and already the 
 two monsters began to show signs of impatience 
 at the delay, when at last, admonished by the 
 high-priest, Nahum came forward, and said, in a 
 terrified and unsteady voice, 
 
 "Men of New Babylon, ye have heard the 
 words of our great and mighty god ! It is better 
 that three of our maidens perish than that we 
 all be swept from the face of the earth ! Let 
 our priests select those whom they deem worthy 
 to be sacrificed; and you I command to appear, 
 at sunrise to-morrow, at the doors of the temple, 
 to participate in the great procession." 
 
 More the king could not say; while the mighty 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 277 
 
 shouts of the people indicated that they con 
 curred in the views of their ruler. 
 
 And now the supernatural visitors gave vent 
 to their joyful feelings in one exultant shout, 
 that rang far and wide through the deserted 
 streets of the city; and then, followed by the 
 priests, they went back to the temple, while the 
 people dispersed to seek their homes and talk 
 over the affairs of the evening. The object of 
 Shadrach and his companions was accomplished ; 
 and, when they had reached the interior of the 
 temple, the doors were securely locked, the two 
 monsters threw off their disguises, and all de 
 scended into the basement, to indulge in a bac 
 chanalian feast in anticipation of the joys the 
 morrow had in store for them. 
 
 The day at length dawned, and dark and 
 gloomy enough was the aspect: yet prepara 
 tions for the great feast were at once made ; and 
 at the seventh hour of the morning the city was 
 again decked out in all the pomp that had been 
 observed on the occasion of the late grand pro 
 cession. The air was uncommonly sultry and 
 oppressive ; a heavy mist obscured the light of 
 the sun; while an undefinable, yet strongly per- 
 
 
278 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 ceptible, something, that boded no good, pervaded 
 the atmosphere. 
 
 The volcano mentioned at the commencement 
 of the ninth chapter, which was situated south 
 ward and not over a stone's throw from New 
 Babylon, and which had been dormant probably 
 for centuries, had a few days since begun to 
 emit smoke, and occasionally some small streams 
 of lava; and it seemed as if some mighty revo 
 lution were preparing in its bowels. But all 
 this was unheeded by the priests, whose thoughts 
 were occupied by the one great object of their 
 hypocritical life; while the inhabitants could 
 think of nothing else but how they might be 
 able to appease the wrath of the terrible Mo 
 loch. And now the doors of the temple were 
 again thrown open, the priests of Moloch again 
 emerged, clad in their gorgeous robes of office, 
 and the great procession was formed in the same 
 order as had been observed some three weeks 
 previous. 
 
 This time the ceremonial mockeries were 
 greatly shortened, as Shadrach and his con 
 federates were anxious to grasp their victims; 
 and two hours before noon the circuit had been 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 279 
 
 made and the procession returned to the tem 
 ple. The people at once took their places, the 
 priests went up to the altar of the idol, and then 
 the wagon that contained the four virgins, three 
 of whom were to be sacrificed, was opened, and 
 the trembling occupants were forced to alight. 
 With tottering steps and colorless cheeks, Re- 
 bekah, Dinah, Keturah, and Zilpah were con 
 ducted to where the licentious priests had formed 
 a semicircle, to meet their terrible doom. The 
 farce of a lottery was again resorted to; and, 
 while the two youngest members of the frater 
 nity were blindfolded, Shadrach arranged the 
 urns. When all was ready, the blinded priests 
 came forward and solemnly stretched out their 
 arms to draw the first lot. 
 
 Sullen and silent, the assembled multitude 
 looked on; and when the bean, that happened to 
 be the only white one in the urn, glittered in 
 the hand of one of the drawers, while the parch 
 ment between the fingers of the other was 
 handed to the high-priest, slowly unrolled, and 
 the name of Eebekah, who thus became free, 
 once more pronounced, no answering shout be 
 came audible. The liberated maiden fell lifeless 
 
280 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 to the floor when her name was pronounced; 
 but not one exclamation of joy at her escape from 
 the terrible doom was heard, while her com 
 panions sat, pale as death, erect and motionless. 
 
 And now the priests rushed madly forward. 
 Their passion so long frustrated had reached the 
 highest degree : all other considerations were 
 set aside ; and, forgetting all decorum, all dictates 
 of prudence, each of the villanous libertines 
 strove to be the first to grasp his shrinking vic 
 tim. The assembled people were thunderstruck, 
 as they began to see why really the sacrifice 
 had so eagerly been demanded; for the rascally 
 priests, blinded by their passion, had thrown off 
 the masks they had so long and so successfully 
 worn, and now stood revealed in all the hide- 
 ousness of the impassioned libertine. 
 
 But suddenly an exclamation of horror filled 
 the temple. The doomed maidens had been 
 reached; forty rude hands were stretched out 
 simultaneously to divest the victims of their 
 garments, and the first touch polluted the per 
 sons of the virgins. Yet, strange to say, the 
 poor girls did not shrink; they did not even try 
 to avoid the indelicate touches; and, when they 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 281 
 
 were more forcibly repeated, the three maidens 
 sunk down, never more to rise, by the side of 
 Kebekah, whose soul had also departed for the 
 realms of everlasting bliss. 
 
 Thus Jehovah had taken away his faithful 
 children pure in soul and body. He had taken 
 them away to spare them the terror of witness 
 ing what was to follow. 
 
 When the priests were assured that their 
 victims were dead, a simultaneous exclamation 
 of horror escaped their lips, and then they 
 looked up, to observe the effect of this strange 
 occurrence on the assembled multitude. But 
 their bewildered gaze was met by a sight so ter 
 rible that it froze the blood in their veins. 
 
 The sky had suddenly grown dark as Erebus, 
 while the temple was illuminated by a large 
 fiery column, that reached high up into the 
 clouds and which slowly and threateningly 
 came nearer and nearer. . 
 
 The people, too, had witnessed the awful 
 spectacle; and now they turned, and, in wild 
 flight, sought the doors of the temple. But 
 Shadrach had locked all the portals as soon as 
 the participants in the procession had been 
 
 24* 
 
282 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 inside, to guard against all possible intrusion 
 and recurring interruption, and had secured the 
 keys about his person, thus cutting off all means 
 of escape. 
 
 Loud and deep were the execrations and 
 curses hurled at the old villain's head, and at 
 last the word was given to pass him along over 
 the heads of the multitude. Accordingly, the 
 old hypocrite was raised up and started on his 
 aerial voyage. 
 
 But he never reached his destination. Be 
 fore the first half of the journey was performed, 
 a dreadful crash was heard, and the earth was 
 shaken to its very foundation. For one moment 
 the walls, pillars, and ceiling of the temple tot 
 tered in their places, and then they came down 
 with a roaring noise, burying the inmates be 
 neath the ruins. 
 
 Most of the people were killed by the falling 
 pieces, but the high-priest and his companions 
 were uninjured; and they already congratulated 
 themselves on their fortunate escape, when they 
 all at once felt the air grow hot and oppressive, 
 and, a minute later, a fiery stream entered the 
 place where they stood. Five minutes after, the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 283 
 
 twenty priests of Moloch were a heap of charred 
 bones and ashes. The volcano was at work 
 in earnest. Stream on stream of hot burning 
 lava rolled down its sides; and, in almost less 
 time than it takes to describe the occurrence, 
 the entire city of New Babylon was buried be 
 neath the scorching ashes, not one of the inha 
 bitants escaping destruction. 
 
 But this was not all. The subterranean fires 
 had now become thoroughly kindled, and their 
 narrow bed could contain them no longer. The 
 volcano had already disappeared, leaving in its 
 stead a yawning abyss. Yet even this was not 
 sufficient; and, as a consequence, the entire 
 island began to tremble. Shock followed shock, 
 until at length the earth was torn asunder, and 
 the fires were extinguished by the waves, that 
 madly dashed into the apertures. Where, scarcely 
 three hours before, the city of New Babylon had 
 reared her proud walls, there was now a wide 
 expanse of water; while other large portions of 
 the land had been swallowed by the roaring sea. 
 And thus the first city that ever was built in 
 the Western hemisphere was destroyed, scarcely 
 twenty-five years after its construction; thus 
 
284 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 were formed that cluster of islands now known 
 as the Bahamas, which once had been one solid 
 country, divided from the continent of America 
 only by a small stream about fifty feet in 
 width. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 285 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 OMAR AND HIS FRIENDS. 
 
 WE left the fugitive Omar and his three 
 friends in a cave on the banks of the stream 
 which divided the island of New Canaan from 
 the continent of America, where they led a 
 happy and peaceful life. Fruit and game, as 
 we have seen, abounded in the vicinity of their 
 new abode ; and thus they were provided with all 
 the necessaries of life; and, trusting in Jehovah, 
 who had helped them so wonderfully thus far, 
 they lived on, troubling themselves little about 
 the future. It was now three weeks since they 
 had left the neighborhood of New Babylon, and 
 all fear of being found out by their late fellow- 
 citizens had left the exiles. This day had been 
 set apart for a somewhat extended hunting-ex 
 pedition, in order that they might explore a 
 greater portion of country ; and the two maidens 
 were to accompany their lovers. But the morn 
 ing proved so dark and gloomy that our friends 
 
286 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 resolved to postpone the exploration, and ac 
 cordingly they remained in their cavern, passing 
 away the time as best they could. Near the 
 hour of noon the sky became as dark as night; 
 and shortly afterward the first shock of an 
 earthquake shook the foundations of the cave. 
 Greatly frightened, Omar, Gad, and the two girls 
 left their rocky chamber, and near the margin 
 of the afore-mentioned stream they sank on 
 their knees, to pray to God for protection. But 
 the earthquake did not abate: shock now fol 
 lowed shock, and the earth shook and trem 
 bled like a vessel on the bosom of the storm- 
 ridden ocean. The friends were paralyzed with 
 terror, and fear had almost bereft them of con 
 sciousness. They had grasped each others' 
 hands, as for mutual protection ; and in mute 
 despair they awaited the end. Suddenly the 
 ground beneath them gave way : it sank deeper 
 and deeper ; while the waters of the now furious 
 stream seemed to rise, as if to swallow the de 
 voted fugitives. 
 
 At last they were afloat; while, as far as their 
 eyes could reach, the land had entirely disap 
 peared. But, with the strength of despair, the 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 287 
 
 swimmers had retained their hold of each other; 
 and now, while their destruction seemed beyond 
 all doubt, a huge wave took them up and carried 
 them straight to the continent of America, 
 where, rapidly receding, it left the nearly-life 
 less forms high and dry on the land. And now 
 the storm had spent its fury ; the subterranean 
 fires had found a new bed at the bottom of the 
 ocean, and all was tranquil. 
 
 J- <? *2* ^ *i* 
 
 sjc yp Sf; SF :jt 
 
 Night had set in, beautiful and serene, and 
 the four friends lay senseless at the foot of one 
 of the patriarchs of the forest. The sun arose 
 bright and glorious, and his genial rays ani 
 mated and warmed awakening nature. But 
 still the sleepers did not awake. The fiery god 
 of day performed his grand journey, and the 
 shadows of night again fell upon the earth. 
 Yet all remained quiet; not a sign of returning 
 consciousness became perceptible beneath the 
 protecting branches of that ancient tree. And 
 again Aurora gilded the eastern horizon, again 
 old Sol emerged from his watery bed and majes 
 tically went on his solitary way, when at length, 
 near the hour of noon, our four wanderers 
 
288 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 opened their eyes. They sat up and gazed 
 wonderingly around. 
 
 Consciousness had returned : yet it took some 
 time ere the friends could command their scat 
 tered senses. 
 
 The sudden shock they had received when 
 they felt the earth sink beneath them and they 
 found themselves in the midst of roaring waves 
 had almost been too much for them, and the 
 recollection of their former life had in a great 
 measure been dimmed. 
 
 Like some vague and undefined dream, the 
 scenes they had so lately passed through lay 
 behind them ; and, although the recollection of 
 their former existence had not been wholly ex 
 tinguished, yet the circumstances preceding the 
 earthquake, and their own somewhat forcible 
 removal to the continent of America, appeared 
 so remote and indistinct that my readers need 
 not wonder if I inform them that the first in 
 habitants of our country soon forgot the inci 
 dents of their previous life, and that, in the cares 
 and excitement of their new career, all that 
 preceded their miraculous escape became a com 
 plete blank to them. Fortunately, however, 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 289 
 
 the reason of our friends had not been impaired; 
 and so they were still able, to enjoy the new 
 life now before them. 
 
 Great were their rejoicings after consciousness 
 had been fully restored, and when they found 
 that none of their number were missing and 
 that all had remained uninjured. Tears of joy 
 dimmed the lustre of the beautiful eyes of the 
 two girls when they saw their beloved friends 
 and protectors still beside them, in all the pride 
 and vigor of glorious manhood; while the souls 
 of the young men were filled with pleasant 
 emotions on beholding the ripening womanly 
 charms of their fair companions. 
 
 Then the gaze of the young people fell on the 
 surrounding landscape; and although this was 
 altogether new and strange to them, yet they 
 all felt that security one is so apt to experience 
 in the presence of one beloved and respected. 
 The appearance of the new country, too, was 
 well calculated to inspire and to strengthen a 
 feeling of security. The place where our wan 
 derers sat was an open glade, here and there 
 interspersed with some mighty patriarch of the 
 forest. In front, and as far as the eye could reach, 
 
 T 25 
 
290 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 spread the blue waters of the Atlantic, while 
 in the rear the view was bounded by a seem 
 ingly boundless expanse of blooming and fruit- 
 laden trees. 
 
 And now nature began to demand her rights. 
 The cravings of hunger made themselves felt, 
 and our wanderers looked wistfully around in 
 search of something wherewith to strengthen 
 the inner man. Near the place where they 
 had been deposited by the receding waves grew 
 some bushes, loaded with dark-hued and poison 
 ous berries; and, with the eagerness of children, 
 they fell upon and devoured the deadly fruit 
 until their hunger was appeased. Then they 
 went to a neighboring spring and refreshed 
 themselves with copious draughts of pure water ; 
 and, as by this time night had set in again, they 
 again lay down to sleep. Soon the poison began 
 to do its work. Like fire it coursed through the 
 veins of the pain-stricken friends; and it would 
 certainly have killed them, had not their youth 
 and vigorous constitution, but, above all, the 
 great quantity of water they had drunk, and 
 which, fortunately, happened to be powerfully 
 mineral, acted as so many antidotes. Yet, as it 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 291 
 
 was, the pains of the poor sufferers were almost 
 unendurable, and not before the lapse of forty- 
 eight hours, in which the most excruciating 
 tortures alternated with short snatches of slum 
 ber, was the danger past. 
 
 When the adventurers arose at last, worn out 
 and feeble, they were greatly surprised at be 
 holding the change in their appearance. Their 
 skins, before so delicate and fair, had become 
 dry and hardened; while their former bright 
 color had been changed to the dark hue of un 
 refined copper. The cut of their features had 
 remained the same : only the blood seemed to 
 have been affected. But this must have under 
 gone a great alteration : it must in some measure 
 have been burned by coming in contact with the 
 poison, and its consequently darker color must 
 have penetrated to the surface and imparted 
 to the skin its now coppery hue. Certain it is 
 that this hue was permanent: no amount of 
 washing or rubbing could efface it; while the 
 poison must have eaten deep into the system 
 of the fugitives, as even their offspring have 
 since become distinguished for their dark-red 
 color to this day. 
 
292 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 But we return to our four friends. They had 
 been surprised, and somewhat shocked, when 
 they first beheld the change in their appearance ; 
 but, like children, they did not trouble them 
 selves much about this, and soon they forgot 
 that they had ever had another color. Omar 
 was the tallest and stoutest of the company; 
 and, led by common instinct, his companions 
 made him their leader, telling him that they 
 were ready and willing to follow him wherever 
 he might go. 
 
 Hunger now again made itself felt, and, as 
 the wanderers had no desire to return to the 
 berries which had caused them so much pain, 
 the new-made leader led his followers farther 
 on into the wilderness. Ere long the eyes of the 
 party were gladdened by the sight of some fruit- 
 laden trees, and they resolved to try the new 
 food. But they now ate cautiously and spar 
 ingly, and only when they had found, after a fair 
 trial, that this time no evil consequences need be 
 feared, they indulged in a hearty meal. When 
 the demands of nature had been satisfied, the 
 adventurers held an earnest conference, and, after 
 due deliberation, they concluded to stay where 
 

 THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 293 
 
 they were, at least so long as the fruit which 
 grew in the vicinity should last. 
 
 With his inborn instinct, Omar now looked 
 about him for a place of shelter, where himself 
 and followers might be protected from the burn 
 ing rays of the sun and all outside dangers ; and, 
 to his great satisfaction, he found, while he was 
 going around a huge old tree, that the enormous 
 trunk was hollow, while its interior was easily 
 accessible by means of a large opening on one 
 side. Fearlessly the young man crept in, and 
 found himself in a cool and dry chamber about 
 ten feet in diameter. By the light of day which 
 streamed in through the opening, our hero soon 
 saw that the room was free from all obstacles 
 and perfectly habitable, after which he went 
 out to acquaint his companions with the happy 
 discovery. 
 
 "When all had seen the place, they were de 
 lighted, and they forthwith concluded to make it 
 their future abode. Then they set to work to 
 make their new residence as comfortable as they 
 could, and, the ground without being strewn with 
 dry leaves and moss, sufficient of this was soon 
 
 25* 
 
 
294 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 carried in to form seats and soft couches for 
 repose. 
 
 At a little distance from their habitation the 
 two young men found several trees which had 
 been felled to the ground by some storm or the 
 hand of time ; and, one of them having been 
 broken by the fall, a suitable piece was rolled to 
 the entrance of the hollow tree, where it served 
 all the purposes of a door, leaving just sufficient 
 room for the admission of light and air. 
 
 And in this natural dwelling the fugitives led 
 a pleasant and contented life, the young men 
 providing the means of subsistence, while the 
 maidens did all in their power to render the 
 existence of their companions as comfortable as 
 possible. Hitherto they had subsisted only on 
 the fruit that grew around them in abundance, 
 and, with the thoughtlessness of children, they 
 had never for a moment doubted that the supply 
 would last forever. The laying in of a supply 
 for the colder season, therefore, was out of the 
 question, and as, from some cause or other, our 
 friends had as yet not seen any game that might 
 have served them as food in the event of the 
 fruit giving out, there was some danger of their 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 295 
 
 perishing for want of proper nourishment as soon 
 as the winter season should set in. 
 
 But as yet Jehovah had not abandoned the 
 little party; and, although their ideas of Divinity 
 had become confused and in a great measure 
 obliterated, it had been resolved in the counsel 
 of Providence that these last remnants of the 
 lost tribes of Israel should live to become the 
 founders of a new nation, which, though differ 
 ing from the rest of mankind in customs and 
 color, were to be as perfect specimens of hu 
 manity as all the other and more favored de 
 scendants of Adam and Eve, and which to future 
 generations should bear witness to the power 
 and wisdom of the Almighty. 
 
 We resume the thread of our narrative. One 
 day, while out in search of a new supply of fruit, 
 Omar and Gad unconsciously strayed far beyond 
 the usual limits of their wanderings, and at 
 length came to the banks of a bubbling stream 
 let, which seemed to be the rendezvous of in 
 numerable flocks of deer and other game. 
 
 With their almost instinctive love of the 
 chase, our friends for some time enjoyed the 
 pranks and gambols of the beautiful animals, 
 
296 THE LOST TRIBES OP ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 which, having never before seen a human being, 
 seemed to regard the two men as some new kind 
 of their own species; and when their length 
 ening shadows at last admonished the hunters 
 to return to their forest home, they easily suc 
 ceeded in capturing as many of the unsuspecting 
 quadrupeds as they wished to take with them. 
 
 But, as we have seen above, the wanderers 
 had strayed far beyond the usual limits of their 
 wanderings ; and now, w^hen they thought of their 
 lovely and no doubt anxiously-waiting compa 
 nions, they for the first time became ,aware of 
 the startling fact that they were in an entirely 
 strange part of the forest, and, worse than all, 
 that they had neglected their habitual precau 
 tions to leave on their route such marks as might 
 guide them on their return. Yet all this was 
 now not to be altered, and nothing but prompt 
 decision could avail them in this unpleasant 
 dilemma. 
 
 In their frequent wanderings, our friends had 
 fortunately acquired considerable knowledge of 
 forest-life : they had learned to regard each bend 
 of the stout grass, each broken twig, and last, 
 though not least, the regular course of the sun. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 297 
 
 All this now caine in good stead, and before long 
 they succeeded in finding the way by which they 
 had come, not, however, before leaving behind 
 all but one of the captured animals. But, although 
 the route toward their habitation now lay partly 
 before them, it required their closest attention 
 to discover the tracks they had left in the luxu 
 riant grass, and consequently their progress was 
 naturally very slow ; added to which came the 
 fact that the animal they had retained a stately 
 deer, which they were resolved on no account to 
 relinquish at times became restive, and greatly 
 assisted in retarding their homeward journey. 
 We, however, will hasten onward, and, with the 
 permission of my readers, I will introduce them 
 into the presence of Talmai and Adah. 
 
 When their friends had left them that morn 
 ing, the two maidens sat down together to a 
 friendly interchange of their mutual thoughts 
 and opinions. Talmai, whose intellectual supe 
 riority over her humbler companion had long 
 been recognized by the latter, by whom she was 
 looked up to as guide and protectress rather than 
 a mere playfellow, as usual opened the conver 
 sation. 
 
298 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 " Is it not wonderful/' the regal girl com 
 menced, " that we should find ourselves inmates 
 of this lovely forest without being able to recall 
 our past existence? For that our existence dates 
 back further than to that moment when we 
 found ourselves awaking from our painful slum 
 ber near the banks of the endless water, I cannot 
 doubt, and I can dimly trace in the far past scenes 
 altogether different from these that now surround 
 us. Like some vague and undefined dream, a 
 whole lifetime seems to lie behind me, and yet, 
 while an inner voice tells me that this is actually 
 so, I am utterly unable to recall a single incident 
 with distinctness sufficient to warrant the recol 
 lection. 
 
 " Yet why should we trouble ourselves about 
 things that lie so far behind us ? Rather let us 
 rejoice in our present existence, free from care 
 and sorrow; and, above all, let us exert our 
 selves to render content and happy the laborious 
 life of our noble friends and protectors. Oh, my 
 Adah, I feel in my heart that my friendship for 
 the noble Omar is giving way to a feeling far 
 more intense, far more delicious! What this 
 feeling is I know not ; but it seems to me as if I 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 299 
 
 had ceased to be myself, and had become a part 
 of him who so bravely has done and still does 
 so much to provide us with all we need ! Say, 
 my Adah, hast thou never experienced a similar 
 sensation ? Has not the gallant Gad kindled a 
 like feeling in the deepest recesses of thy heart? 
 Nay, do not cast down thine eyes : see, I rejoice. 
 I glory, in the novel sensation of my heart! 
 Speak : is it only friendship thou feelest for the 
 gallant Gad?" 
 
 And Adah raised her eyes to those of her 
 friend and companion, eyes so full of rapture, 
 so full of love, even veneration, that Talmai 
 was answered, and, in the paroxysm of her own 
 feelings, she pressed the fair girl to her bosom 
 and covered her face with burning kisses. 
 
 "Oh!" murmured Adah, "I adore him! and 
 willingly could I lie down and die, if my doing 
 so would make him happy." 
 
 And in a similar strain the maidens con 
 versed, not heeding the flight of time, until the 
 cravings of appetite summoned them to their 
 frugal meal. This they took in silence; and, 
 even long after it had been ended, Talmai sat 
 speechless, seemingly absorbed in deep thought. 
 
300 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 Suddenly she started from her revery, and, 
 perceiving her friend, who was intently watch 
 ing her, she smiled, and said, 
 
 " Another of my dim recollections, my darling; 
 but this time a little more tangible than before. 
 While eating of the fruit there, I remembered a 
 dish of a peculiarly rich and savory flavor, 
 which in former times we all loved above every 
 thing else ; and then it seemed to me as if Omar 
 were returning loaded with something I did not 
 recognize, which, after undergoing a certain pro 
 cess, furnished the ingredients to the above- 
 mentioned dish. 
 
 " I should have dismissed the recollection, as I 
 was obliged to do all the former ones; but its 
 distinctness, and particularly the pleasant flavor, 
 which even now seems to linger in my nostrils, 
 led me on to give the reins to my thoughts, and 
 presently they brought me a step further. I 
 remembered that, when last we partook of the 
 dish just described, our situation was similar to 
 that we now occupy, and that, while he had 
 gone out to procure a supply of fruit, Omar had 
 found what he brought; and then I began to 
 hope that our friends might again be so fortu- 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 301 
 
 nate as to find a similar object. For, to tell you the 
 truth, although I am quite content with what we 
 have, the delicious food I saw, tasted, and smelled 
 has quite spoiled my appetite for our ordinary food. 
 
 " But how is this ? In our eager conversation 
 we have not heeded the flight of time; the sun 
 has already sunk out of sight, and yet our pro 
 tectors have not returned !" 
 
 The girls jumped up and left their dark abode; 
 they ran as far as their security would permit, 
 incessantly shouting the names of their absent 
 friends. But echo only threw back the sound 
 of their own voices. And now the maidens 
 became really alarmed ; yet they were powerless 
 to do more, and, after running and shouting for 
 some time longer, they at last threw themselves 
 down in utter despair. So they lay for several 
 hours, until their swoon passed away, and then 
 they again sat up. It was now near the hour 
 of midnight : the moon shone down full and 
 brilliant, and the mighty forest lay dark and 
 silent. After a little while the girls were 
 entirely restored to consciousness, and the 
 thought of their still absent protectors came 
 back in all force. Once more the fair creatures 
 
 26 
 
302 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 jumped up, and once more the names of Omar 
 and Gad rang far out over the wilderness, when 
 oh, joy! an answering shout was heard from 
 the depth of the forest, and a little later the 
 maidens, now trembling for joy, were clasped 
 to the bosoms of the happy hunters. But see ! 
 what is that which makes Talmai start? and why 
 that joyous glance that suddenly illumines her 
 noble face ? 
 
 Ha ! she has caught sight of a certain some 
 thing slung across the back of her stout lover. 
 It is the deer which the young men have 
 caught, and which they had resolved to retain 
 as a trophy of their exploit. When already 
 near their destination, the animal had stumbled 
 over some half-decayed branches, and, falling 
 down, had broken a leg; but, being so near their 
 home, our friends had resolved not to leave 
 their prize behind, and Omar, the stoutest of 
 the two, had volunteered to carry it. And now 
 in that deer Talmai had recognized the object 
 she had dreamed of in her revery, and which 
 had furnished that delicious dish she had tasted 
 in imagination. 
 
 When Omar had taken the crippled animal 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN". 303 
 
 on his shoulders, he had been actuated only by 
 pity, and the desire of at least showing what 
 had detained and caused them so much trouble; 
 but when he was informed of the recollection of 
 the fair being by his side, he was overjoyed; and, 
 not for one moment doubting that she was right, 
 he at once resolved to try the experiment as far 
 as it lay in his power. 
 
 And now the reunited friends took their way 
 toward their habitation, while the young men 
 narrated the incidents of their hunting-expe 
 dition. Arrived at their hollow tree, Omar forth 
 with went in search of instruments wherewith 
 to kill their game ; and ere long he returned 
 with a sharp-edged stone and a heavy club, one 
 well-directed blow with which laid the animal 
 low and forever relieved it of its sufferings. 
 
 Then, notwithstanding the lateness of the 
 hour, the deer was skinned with the sharp- 
 edged stone, and the meat cut. Owing to the 
 imperfection of the instrument, these latter 
 tasks were performed with the utmost difficulty; 
 and only after the exertion of the greatest 
 patience and industry on the part of the hunters 
 was the labor at last accomplished. Of cooking, 
 
 I 
 
304 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 of course, the friends had no idea; but their 
 tastes were untutored and unspoiled, and when 
 the first raw morsel had been washed down 
 with a draught of the yet warm blood, their joy 
 at having discovered so nourishing and delicious 
 a food was very great indeed. When the meal 
 was ended, the young people for some moments 
 sat silent, each one busy with his own thoughts; 
 then their eyes met, and with one accord they 
 were raised heavenward, while a silent prayer 
 of thanksgiving ascended on high. The ideas 
 of Divinity of our adventurers were obliterated, 
 as we have seen above; but a certain something, 
 they did not know what, irresistibly drew their 
 eyes upward, and, although they could not help 
 feeling and mutely expressing the deepest grati 
 tude, yet they were not aware to whom their 
 fervent thanks were given. 
 
 And now our little party sought their couches, 
 and ere long they lay in sweet and sound 
 repose. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 305 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ONE year and a half had now passed since 
 our adventurers had been landed on the conti 
 nent of America, and they had become ac 
 customed to their surroundings and the mode 
 of their present life. 
 
 The winter had, fortunately, been a very mild 
 one, and, thanks to the fortunate circumstance 
 through which the friends had become ac 
 quainted with the use of the meat, blood, and 
 at last the skins too, of the various animals 
 they had now found to exist in such abundance 
 at a little distance from their dwelling, they had 
 been well provided with every thing needful. In 
 fact, long before the cold season had set in, 
 Omar and Gad had succeeded in catching alive 
 quite a number of deer and other game, the 
 flesh of which made a most nutritious food, 
 while their thick and hairy hides' afforded ex- 
 
 U 26* 
 
306 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 cellent protection against the chill blasts of the 
 northerly winds. 
 
 Hitherto the time and attention of the mem 
 bers of our little party had been so engrossed by 
 the care of providing for their mutual comfort, 
 that the nicer and nobler feelings of their souls 
 had of necessity been forced back within the 
 deepest recesses of their hearts. Their original 
 language had almost entirely disappeared; a great 
 many words of their mother-tongue had been 
 forgotten; while the many new objects they saw 
 around them had taxed their ingenuity in in 
 venting appropriate names. And so it happened 
 that, while they retained the guttural tones and 
 pronunciation of their own people, the words 
 used by the first inhabitants of the Western 
 continent had become entirely different from 
 those of their late countrymen. 
 
 Now that all the simple wants of our friends had 
 been provided for, and their friendship had ripened 
 into the most sincere and passionate love, the 
 long-pent-up feelings of their hearts claimed the 
 right of asserting themselves. The womanly 
 charms of the maidens, which at first had filled 
 the souls of their companions with pleasant 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 307 
 
 emotions, now set their hearts on fire, and nature 
 would no longer be denied her just rights. 
 
 All the time that was not necessarily employed 
 in the chase or the procuring of fruit, &c., the 
 lovers now spent in each others' company, and, 
 while the girls listened rapturously to the 
 passionate outpourings of their devoted swains, 
 the latter felt themselves lifted into brighter 
 regions by the loving glances of their adored 
 sweethearts. At the distance of about half a 
 mile from their abode was a small but beauti 
 ful lake, whose blue and transparent waters 
 mirrored the sky; and here was the favorite 
 try sting-place of Omar and Talmai ; while Gad 
 and Adah preferred the protecting shadow of 
 their forest home. Often, when the labors of 
 the day were ended, and when twilight began 
 to fall upon the earth, the son of Harim, accom 
 panied by Nahum's daughter, might have been 
 seen wending their way through the dark and 
 silent forest toward their sky-roofed "temple" 
 of love. 
 
 Here, in the deep solitude, surrounded by 
 patriarchal trees, and the crystal liquid spark 
 ling at their feet, the happy lover pours his burn- 
 
 
308 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 ing words into the wide-open ears of his enrap 
 tured bride, unheard by any other human being, 
 save the writer of this tale and his com 
 panions. 
 
 With the privilege of the author to be present 
 on all occasions where something interesting is 
 going on, and well supplied with all the appli 
 ances of witchcraft, I spread my magic mantle 
 which, besides making its occupants entirely in 
 visible, at the same time with lightning speed 
 carries them to the desired spot and most re 
 spectfully invite my gentle readers to accompany 
 me on the aerial voyage. Come on, ladies and 
 gentlemen; step fearlessly upon the wonderful 
 garment : it is secure and spacious ; and, should 
 it be necessary, I shall be delighted to enlarge it 
 with one word of my powerful tongue. Cou 
 rage, now : make yourselves comfortable. Presto, 
 change ! and up we go into unknown regions. 
 Ha ! do you feel the cooling breeze fanning your 
 feverish brows? You fear? you tremble? Take 
 my hand : to fall is impossible. See yonder 
 cloud, how swiftly it sails onward. Now it is 
 beneath our feet. On, on it goes, until it falls 
 to the earth in myriads of glistening rain-drops. 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN". 309 
 
 Where are we ? Behold there the glorious sun, 
 a fiery ball, surrounded by an ocean of ice ! On, 
 on, my brave mantle ! soar up, higher and higher ! 
 Ugh ! you shiver ? the blood begins to freeze in 
 your veins ? No matter : this phial contains a 
 powerful elixir. I throw it up over your heads. 
 How delightful ! How do you feel ? Warm as 
 on a Fourth of July in the midst of the grateful 
 citizens of this glorious republic ? Good ! I am 
 content. And now we are near our destination. 
 Look down. Do you behold that bed of liquid 
 silver ? It is the lake of our lovers. There ! see 
 you that stately, dark-red young man ? That 
 is Omar ; and the copper-colored beauty at his 
 side is his Talmai. Behold the Juno-like form, 
 those dark almond-shaped eyes, that queenly 
 brow! Her jetty hair falls in natural ringlets 
 down on the well-rounded shoulders. The vo 
 luptuous bust is a delicious couch for the weary 
 head of her chosen. There she sits on the trunk 
 of a fallen tree, and her lover nestles at her feet. 
 See! now his lips are parting for love's sweet 
 communion. Be silent now, and let us alight at 
 the foot of yonder sycamore. Hark! now he 
 speaks. But what a lingo ! You don't under- 
 
310 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 stand him ? Well, I shall translate as the words 
 fall from his lips : ' 
 
 " Joy of my eyes ! light of my soul ! as the 
 beams of yonder sinking sun warm and animate 
 the creatures of the earth, so the beams of thy 
 glorious eyes warm and animate my innermost 
 heart. When 1 gathered the luscious fruit, when 
 I hunted the swift doe or the swifter stag, I 
 thought of thee : thine image has been before 
 my eyes, awake or asleep. For thy sake I could 
 have done and dared every thing; and, when 
 sometimes almost insurmountable difficulties 
 arose in my path, the thought of thee sustained 
 me and always made me victorious. 
 
 " When first I beheld thee near the banks of the 
 endless water, my heart was filled with pleasant 
 emotions, and I resolved to be thy friend and 
 protector. Then I did not understand the emo 
 tions that were born in my heart, and I only 
 knew that thou wert dear to me. But since 
 then the feelings of my heart have grown into 
 strong, all-absorbing love : the voice of nature 
 has spoken within me, and now I claim thee for 
 my own. I feel it within me that man and 
 woman must have been created for some grand 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 311 
 
 and noble purpose : the voice that spoke within 
 me said that you had been made to sweeten my 
 existence ; and therefore let us be forever united, 
 let us share our mutual duties, and let it be our 
 highest aim to render each other happy." 
 
 The speaker ceases, and fondly looks up into 
 the eyes of his companion to note the effect of 
 his words. y^^ 
 
 But what is the matter with you, my brave 
 companions? You look incredulous, and your 
 mysterious whisperings seem to indicate that 
 you do not believe me. 
 
 Oh ! you don't understand that so uncivilized 
 a being as this Omar undoubtedly is should use 
 such language, which, although bold and to the 
 point, would certainly lead to the belief that he 
 who spoke it must be a man of some refinement 
 and culture. That's it, is it ? 
 
 Why, bless your dear, innocent souls! don't 
 you know that that entire speech is but a trans 
 lation ? What could it have availed either you 
 or me had I repeated the exact and almost un 
 pronounceable words he uttered ? You would not 
 have understood them at all, and therefore they 
 would not have interested you. It is the mean- 
 
312 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 ing, not only of the few sentences, but also of 
 the looks and gestures accompanying them, that 
 we want; and this I have endeavored to give 
 you to the best of my ability. So much for 
 that. And now let us look at the lovely Talmai. 
 
 How radiant she looks ! how that happy smile 
 illumines her brown features ! She has eagerly 
 devoured the words of her handsome lover, and 
 do not start, my fair fellow-travellers she did 
 not even blush. Pure, simple, and innocent 
 child of nature ! With the nobility of a queen, 
 she arises : for one moment she stands proud and 
 erect, her eyes looking her unspeakable feelings ; 
 then she slowly raises her right arm heaven 
 ward : 
 
 " Beloved, I am thine, thine through sunshine 
 and darkness, thine to share the duties that may 
 await us, thine forever." 
 
 This ceremony, so imposing in its very sim 
 plicity, is important. 
 
 Thus Omar and Talmai are married. 
 
 Kapturously the young husband strains his 
 adored bride to his bosom, and the first fervent 
 kiss seals the sacred compact. 
 
 The twilight now has vanished, and night has 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 313 
 
 set in. One by one the stars begin to peep out 
 from the azure sky, while far off in the east 
 Luna appears on her solitary walk ; and in the 
 pale, cold light of the " goddess of night" the 
 wedded pair wend their way homeward. We, 
 too, gentle readers, must now think of returning ; 
 for the night-air is chill, and a longer exposure 
 so near the banks of that beautiful lake might 
 cause us a cold as a reward for our temerity. 
 On! on! brave mantle, and carry thy precious 
 load, far up above the mighty forest, back to the 
 place whence we started. 
 
 In the mean time Omar and Talmai had 
 reached their forest home, where, by a singular 
 coincidence, or by preconcerted arrangement, 
 Gad and Adah had also gone through the im 
 portant ceremony of marriage. The congratu 
 lations therefore were mutual, and, after a brief 
 general conversation, the " blushing brides" were 
 
 led to the couches of their new-made lords. 
 # * * * * 
 
 The next morning broke bright and glorious : 
 the denizens of the forest had left their lairs, 
 and the birds were singing the last stanzas of 
 their morning hymn. But around that hollow 
 
 27 
 
314 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 tree all was silent. Contrary to their usual 
 custom, the young people were yet in bed ; and 
 the sun indicated the tenth hour before they 
 arose. But now the log was rolled away from 
 the entrance of the hut, and, arm in arm, the 
 two husbands and their smiling wives appeared 
 in the aperture. 
 
 The serene and contented expression of the 
 faces of all showed that they were happy indeed ; 
 and, after mutually expressing their surprise at 
 the lateness of the hour, our married folks at 
 once made preparation for a joyous festival. -A 
 stately deer, that had been secured on the pre 
 vious day, was brought forward ; and, while the 
 two men set to work to skin and cut the animal, 
 a process that was now greatly facilitated by 
 Omar having, after long and arduous labor, suc 
 ceeded in sharpening a piece of very hard wood 
 in such a manner as to make it serve all the 
 purposes of the modern knife, the women went 
 to gather fresh fruit and fill their cocoa-shells 
 with water. No cooking, roasting, or baking 
 being required, the frugal meal was soon pre 
 pared ; and then our friends sat down to partake 
 of the festive repast. But the order of things 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 315 
 
 was changed. Heretofore, while at their meals, 
 the young men had found their greatest pleasure 
 in serving their fair companions ; but now the 
 latter thought it their duty to lighten as much 
 as possible the labors of their husbands, and in 
 turn now waited on their masters, who, although 
 earnestly remonstrating at first against the un 
 wonted proceeding, soon began to feel and enjoy 
 the comfort of being served ; and from that time 
 the Indian wife gradually became the slave of 
 her husband. pOCroft Library 
 
 The meal of Omar, Gad, and their brides was 
 in every respect a happy and joyous one. The 
 meat was raw, and there were no artificial drinks 
 to stimulate the appetite, it is true ; but these 
 luxuries were unknown to the friends, and there 
 fore not missed. One thing every member of 
 that little party possessed, which gave flavor to 
 their viands and zest to their enjoyments : this 
 was the knowledge of being beloved by the 
 object of their heart's choice. 
 
 When the repast was ended, the two families 
 went on a short hunting and exploring expe 
 dition, and the rest of the day was spent in 
 social sports. Thus the companions again lived 
 
316 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 on, happy and content. Their simple wants were 
 easily supplied; and, as now the women faithfully 
 shared all the toil and labor of their husbands, 
 their days glided by in harmony and comfort. 
 
 Another year has passed away, and Talmai 
 and Adah have become mothers. 
 
 This was a new phase in the life of our ad 
 venturers; and great had been their rejoicings 
 when the first wail of the infants had fallen 
 upon the ears of the overjoyed parents. 
 
 " Chow-wauk-he !" (my first-born,) cried Omar, 
 when Talmai presented him a plump and chubby 
 little son. " Mo-he -ga !" (the beautiful one,) echoed 
 Gad, when Adah showed him a lovely little 
 daughter. The measure of happiness in the 
 little circle was now full. Thanks to their 
 vigorous constitutions, their simple and frugal 
 habits, and, above all, their lives full of health 
 ful exercise in the open air, the young mothers 
 arose a few days after the birth, well and strong 
 as ever, while the children were as healthy and 
 full of life as young kids. 
 
 It is impossible to describe the pleasure with 
 which the young fathers now went forth to pro- 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 317 
 
 vide game, fruit, and other necessaries for their 
 beloved ones at home, while the mothers were 
 busy in the interior of the wigwam, moving 
 about with anxious caution, so as not to awake 
 their sleeping babes, or sat, their little ones 
 hanging on their breasts, impatiently awaiting 
 the return of their husbands, to whom they now 
 felt themselves bound by a strong additional tie. 
 All now had a new object to live and to care 
 for; and never yet has lioness watched more 
 anxiously over her whelps than did Omar and 
 Talmai, Gad and Adah, over their offspring. 
 The children were perfect counterparts of their 
 respective parents; and, thanks to the constant 
 and watchful care of the latter, the former grew 
 up in vigor, beauty, and amiability. 
 
 In due time Chow-wauk-he and Mo-he-ga were 
 able to leave the parental dwelling; and then 
 they not unfrequently accompanied their sires 
 on their hunting-expeditions, while the latter 
 strictly observed the divine command, " Be fruit 
 ful, and multiply," their families becoming en 
 larged by some new addition at each natural 
 interval. And thus time passed on. 
 
 27* 
 
318 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 Twenty-one years have rolled down the stream 
 of time into the boundless ocean of eternity, 
 and the increase of their numbers has obliged 
 the two families to separate and seek different 
 dwelling-places. 
 
 It is a lovely morning in that delightful season 
 known as the Indian summer. Again I spread 
 my magic mantle, again I invite my gentle 
 readers to accompany me on an aerial voyage, 
 and again that brave and useful garment soars 
 up into the sky with its precious load of civil 
 ized beings. This time not a single cloud is 
 visible in the azure of the higher regions, and 
 our view is unbounded. The king of day sends 
 down his warming and animating rays in un 
 broken splendor, and in his glorious light glitter 
 the broad streams, the dense forests, and the 
 lovely vales that separate us from our destina 
 tion. Near that silvery lake the end of our 
 former journey we again descend, and cordially 
 greet our old acquaintances the patriarchal trees 
 and the waves of liquid crystal. Behold yonder 
 procession of the copper -colored sons of the 
 forest ! How elastic and joyous is their step ! 
 Now they have arrived on the banks of the lake; 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 319 
 
 and, see! they are forming a ring around their 
 leaders. Those two stately men in the prime 
 of life are Omar and Gad; the still blooming 
 dames at their sides are Talmai and Adah; and 
 the motley group of young men and women, boys 
 and girls, that surround them, are their children, 
 all as brown as their parents. 
 
 Gently ripple the transparent waters of that 
 beautiful lake, and toward its opposite shores 
 are the eyes of the assembled people directed. 
 What next ? Strain your eyes, my brave com 
 panions ! What see you ? Nothing ? Well, I 
 declare : I, too, see Ha ! there it is ! A bark 
 canoe shoots from under yon overhanging boughs. 
 It comes nearer. See how swiftly it goes ! Now 
 you can see its occupants. One is a young man, 
 tall and erect. He is at least six feet high. He 
 is dressed in the glossy skin of the black bear. 
 The other is a girl. How beautiful ! What 
 a faultless form ! She is dressed in the snowy 
 hide of the white deer. And now the young 
 men on our side of the lake are cheering the 
 new-comers. They speak among themselves. 
 Let me listen. I will try to catch the meaning 
 of what they say. Now I have it. Yonder 
 
320 THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL; OR, 
 
 brown sailor is to be married. The maiden in 
 the prow of the boat is his bride. They have 
 gone to the opposite shore to hunt their wedding- 
 garments; and, see ! they have succeeded. They 
 are returning victorious. Their dresses are new. 
 The blood on the inner side of the skins is yet 
 smoking. Hurrah for the bold hunters ! 
 
 Now they have landed. They go straight up 
 to Omar and his companions, while the children 
 of the latter stand smiling around. Hark! the 
 tall hunter speaks. He declares his love for his 
 fair companion. He asks Gad and Adah to give 
 him their daughter. They smile. Their consent 
 is given, and the happy bride sinks into the out 
 stretched arms of her stout lover. Now all em 
 brace. Omar and Talmai raise their hands in 
 solemn benediction. " Be happy, my children," 
 falls, in earnest tones, from the former's lips, and 
 the ceremony is over. The lovers are married. 
 
 For some moments all are silent. Then a 
 mighty shout reverberates through the dark 
 forest, and echo carries it far out over the coun 
 try. "Long life and prosperity to Mo-he-ga, the 
 flower of the wilderness ! Long life and pros 
 perity to Chow-wauk-he, the bold hunter !" 
 
THE FIRST OF THE RED MEN. 321 
 
 And thus, my brave companions, we will leave 
 the first of the red men, the first natives of our 
 glorious continent, while our novel conveyance 
 carries us quickly and safely back to the place 
 whence we started. 
 
 THE ENIX