"Who have they there?" asked a third.
"One of those Ziklag-men," replied the chief. "He came into camp a few days ago, seems to be an old favorite of the king's, and is posted with his men, by the old tomb on the edge of the hill. If you cross the brook, he is not far from the Carmel post; and some of his young men have made acquaintance there."
"One is not a soldier for nothing. If we make enemies at sight, we make friends at sight too."
"Echish here says that the harper is a Jew."
"What!—a deserter?"
"I do not know that; that is the king's lookout. Their company came up a week ago, were reviewed the day I was on guard at the outposts, and they had this post I tell you of assigned to them. So the king is satisfied; and, if he is, I am."
"Jew or Gentile, Jehovah's man or Dagon's man," said one of the younger soldiers, with a half-irreverent tone, "I wish we had him here to sing to us." [pg 061]
"And to keep us awake," yawned another.
"Or to keep us from thinking of to-morrow," said a third.
"Can nobody sing here, or play, or tell an old-time story?"