“The God of my fathers, on whom I learned to rely, watches over His faithful people.  Do you see the sand, sea-weed, and shells yonder at the end of the estuary?  An hour ago the place was covered with water, and roaring waves were dashing their white spray upward.  That is the way, boy, which promises escape; if the wind holds, the water—­so the experienced Phoenicians assure us—­will recede still farther toward the sea.  Their god of the north wind, they say, is favorable to us, and their boys are already lighting a fire to him on the summit of Baal-zephon yonder, but we know that it is Another, Who is opening to us a path to the desert.  We were in evil case, my boy!”

“Yes, grandfather!” cried the youth.  “You were trapped like lions in the snare, and the Egyptian host—­it passed me from the first man to the last—­is mighty and unconquerable.  I hurried as fast as my feet could carry me to tell you how many heavily-armed troops, bowmen, steeds, and chariots. . . . "

“We know, we know,” the old man interrupted, “but here we are.”

He pointed to an overturned tent which his servants were trying to prop, and beside which an aged Hebrew, his father Elishama, wrapped in cloth, sat in the chair in which he was carried by bearers.

Nun hastily shouted a few words and led Ephraim toward him.  But while the youth was embracing his great-grandfather, who hugged and caressed him, Nun, with youthful vivacity, was issuing orders to the shepherds and servants: 

“Let the tent fall, men!  The storm has begun the work for you!  Wrap the covering round the poles, load the carts and beasts of burden.  Move briskly, You, Gaddi, Shamma, and Jacob, join the others!  The hour for departure has come!  Everybody must hasten to harness the animals, put them in the wagons, and prepare all things as fast as possible.  The Almighty shows us the way, and every one must hasten, in His name and by the command of Moses.  Keep strictly to the old order.  We head the procession, then come the other tribes, lastly the strangers and leprous men and women.  Rejoice, oh, ye people; for our God is working a great miracle and making the sea dry land for us, His chosen people.  Let everyone thank Him while working, and pray from the depths of the heart that He will continue to protect us.  Let all who do not desire to be slain by the sword and crushed by the weight of Pharaoh’s chariots put forth their best strength and forget rest!  That will await us as soon as we have escaped the present peril.  Down with the tent-cover yonder; I’ll roll it up myself.  Lay hold, boy!  Look across at the children of Manasseh, they are already packing and loading.  That’s right, Ephraim, you know how to use your hands!