It was that subliminated faith in the ubiquity and omniscience of God; the unchangeableness of His word; than which the world has witnessed; known nothing finer; the story of the concurrent causes that projected the Negro into the World War, from whence he emerged covered with glory, followed by the plaudits of mankind, that became the inspiration of this work—­his story of devotion, valor and patriotism; of unmurmuring sacrifice; worthy the pens of the mighty, but which the historian, as best he may will tell:  “Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice.”

CHAPTER II

HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

Likened to Belshazzar—­The Kaiser’s Feasts—­In His Heart Barbaric Pride of the Potentates of Old—­German Madness for War—­Insolent Demands—­Forty-eight Hours to Prevent a World War—­Comment of Statesmen and Leaders—­The War Starts—­Italy Breaks Her Alliance—­Germanic Powers Weighed and Found Wanting—­Spirit Wins Over Materialism—­Civilization’s Lamp Dimmed but not Darkened.

Belshazzar of Babylon sat at a feast.  Very much after the fashion of modern kings they were good at feasting in those olden days.  The farthest limits of the kingdom had been searched for every delight and delicacy.  Honeyed wines, flamingo’s tongues, game from the hills, fruits from vine and tree, spices from grove and forest, vegetables from field and garden, fish from stream and sea; every resource of Mother Earth that could contribute to appetite or sensual pleasure was brought to the king’s table.  Singers, minstrels, dancers, magicians, entertainers of every description were summoned to the palace that they might contribute to the vanity of the monarch, and impress the onlooking nations about him.

He desired to be known and feared as the greatest monarch on earth; ruling as he did over the world’s greatest city.  His triumphs had been many.  He had come to believe that his power proceeded directly from the god Bel, and that he was the chosen and anointed of that deity.

This was the period of his prime; of Babylon’s greatest glory; his kingdom seemed so firmly established he had no thought it could be shaken.  But misleading are the dreams of kings; his kingdom was suddenly menaced from without, by Cyrus of Persia, another great monarch.  There were also dangers from within, but courtiers and flatterers kept this knowledge from him.  Priests of rival gods had set themselves up within the empire; spies from without and conspirators within were secretly undermining the power of the intrenched despot.

Such was Belshazzar in his pride; such his kingdom and empire.  And, so it was, this was to be an orgy that would set a record for all time to come.