With inward but audible murmurs at this unholy connection, for Morgan valued not their prayers a rush, Gideon strode forth, his eyes twinkling grievously as the drizzling rime came on his face.  His long ungainly figure, surmounted by a high-peaked hat, was seen cautiously stealing through the trenches.  Near to the embrasure by Morgan’s mortar-piece he made a sudden halt.  After preparing his drum, he first beat the roll to crave attention.  He then stepped upon the redoubt, drumming the usual signal for a parley.  It was soon answered from the walls, and Gideon, with much ceremony and importance, arrived with his musical appendage before the gate.  The requisite formalities being gone through, the drawbridge was lowered, and this parliamentary representative was speedily admitted through a little wicket into the Babylon which he abhorred.  His very feet seemed in danger of defilement.  He looked as if breathing the very atmosphere of pollution; but when ordered to kneel down that he might be blindfolded, his spirit rose indignantly at the command.

“Ye be contemners and despisers of our holy heritage.  I have not bowed the knee to Baal, nor will I worship the beast or they that have his name on their foreheads.  Do with me as ye list.  Ye would cover mine eyes that your iniquities may be hidden;—­but ye shall suddenly be destroyed, and none shall deliver.”

A loud laugh was the answer to this denunciation; for truly it were a marvellous thing to hear an ignorant, arrogant drummer, misapply and profane the words of Holy Writ, wresting the Scriptures to their destruction, if not his own.

In the outer court soldiers were playing at span-counter with silver moneys, which Gideon observing, again lifted up the voice of warning and rebuke.

“But destruction cometh upon them, even as upon a woman in”——­

“Peace, thou spirit of a drum-stick!” cried one of them, and, as though he were playing at chuck-farthing, he threw a tester between his teeth; for the soldiers had about fifty pounds amongst them in silver coin, but it was of no use except as so many counters, which they lent one another by handfuls without telling.  Sometimes one soldier had won the whole, then another; but if they had been heaps of the rarest jewels they had been of less worth than pebble-stones.

Gideon’s speech was marred in the delivery; thinking he had been hit with a stone, he sputtered out the offending morsel; but, seeing the coin with the king’s image and superscription, he gathered it up again.

“This shall be to me for a prey, even a spoil, as Moses spoiled the Egyptians.”  Saying this Gideon thrust the king’s money into his pocket, and consented to be blindfolded, as was customary, in order that he should not act the spy in his progress.  He heard many gates unbarred, many sentries challenged, and the pass-words demanded.  Indeed the order and discipline throughout was of an excellent and well-contrived regularity.