Here the cause of the disturbance became apparent immediately. A huge panther had sprung upon a man, who was lying prostrate, and who tried by interposing his arm to prevent it from tearing his face. A few hounds brought Azriel to the spot; and the beast, furious at seeing another enemy, turned upon him, his teeth dripping with blood. He acknowledged the rough salutation by a blow that made the monster stagger, at the same time that Carmi, now wide awake, plunged a sword into its neck, when, after a brief struggle, it fell down and lay in all the rigidity of death. Azriel then hastened to the stranger so providentially rescued, and saw, certainly with some abatement of his solicitude, that he wore an Assyrian dress, but he was pleased and startled to hear him, as they bore him along, utter the sacred Name of the True God. He then redoubled his attentions, with tender care placed the unfortunate man on a pile of garments in his tent, washed the wound in his arm, bound it with strips of his own linen under-tunic, and pouring some wine down his throat waited for his revival, while Carmi went in search of his horse. After a time the stranger came to, opened his eyes, and whispered his thanks, and then scanning Azriel's face narrowly, managed to say, "I, too, am an Israelite, though I wear the dress of Assyria." He could utter no more that night, but composed himself to sleep, while Carmi, who had returned with the horse, kept watch beside him alternately with his master.

In spite of the circumstance that he had watched and slept alternately throughout the night, Azriel awoke in the morning exceedingly refreshed, so happy had been the effect of the Sabbath's rest; and proceeding forthwith to the spot where his guest was lying, looked at him attentively, as if he hoped by that silent inspection to dissipate the mystery that attached itself to him. The stranger, he saw clearly, had Hebrew features, but in all other respects resembled an Assyrian. He wore a moustache; his square beard had evidently been curled and twisted into its present form at the cost of a vast expenditure of time and trouble; the hair of his head, put behind the ears, fell in a heavy mass on his shoulders, and terminated in three rows of small curls. His dress consisted of a short and closely fitting under garment of linen, over which he wore a vestment of scarlet cloth, bordered with a deep fringe, that reached to his knees. He had golden earrings in his ears and golden bracelets on his wrists, and on his feet were sandals that rose behind so as to

cover the heel. His helmet which was made of bronze, and his sword with a highly wrought hilt, lay by his side. He was still quite a young man, apparently in vigorous health, but the deep lines on his otherwise pleasing features told of anxiety and suffering in his past life.

Azriel's scrutiny continued till the stranger awoke, when some refreshments were placed before him, which he thankfully received, explaining, as he partook of them, that he was on his way to Nineveh when the disaster befell him, and inquiring the destination of his newly found friends. On finding that it was the same as his own, he at once proposed to join them, stating that he knew the place perfectly, and would gladly point out how they might trade most successfully; and Azriel, seeing how the help of such a man might further his design, gladly consented, keeping his actual object a secret for the present, though intending to reveal it if his guest proved truly an Israelite.

When the morning meal was over the stranger felt himself sufficiently recovered to mount his horse, and they set out forthwith, leaving after a time the mountain-range behind them, and entering the great treeless plain, that stretched for two hundred miles to the banks of the Euphrates. They rode on for some time in silence, only the wounded man expressed his gratitude very warmly for the seasonable help afforded him, but they soon fell into conversation, and he related at Azriel's request his history, as follows :—

"My father's name was Tobijah. He was of the tribe of Naphtali, and had inherited a large piece of

birth

his

land near Kedesh, to the north of the Sea of Chinneroth, where thou couldest always see in the distance the top of Hermon covered with snow. There he lived in wealth, peace, and happiness for forty years, there he married my mother, and there she gave to my two elder brothers, and to Kezia my sister. Often and often have I heard them speak of those joyous days; how Tobijah lived as a prince among people, how he then abounded like Jacob, our father, in flocks and herds, how he feasted his servants at sheep-shearing and harvest. True he was sometimes oppressed by the large tribute exacted of him, and sometimes robbed by bands of the spoilers of Syria, and by the Arabs of the desert; but these losses were soon made up, and all went well, till Rezin and the son of Remaliah joined themselves together against Judah, and, as thou knowest, Ahaz sent a present to TiglathPileser, that he might come and help him.

"My father soon heard that the Assyrian was on his way. He knew there was no one to deliver Israel out of his hand, but lingered, unwilling to leave the inheritance of his fathers, till the king sat down before Damascus. Then he collected all his wealth, his cattle, his servants, and his children, and came with my mother into the country of Ephraim, where he sold his cattle and precious things, to buy a possession not far from Samaria. Here I was born, and hoping that now his wanderings were over, my father called me 'Nohah,' 'rest.' Well, King Hoshea began to reign, and had to pay much money to the King of Assyria, and heavy burdens were put upon the poor, for the rich would

not bear them. So Tobijah became greatly straitened, he sent away his servants, he sold his vessels of silver, and he worked in the field with my brothers to provide us with food and raiment. Still we had enough, we loved each other dearly, and we might have been happy had not the king refused to pay the tribute to Assyria. It was one day when I was about seven years old, that my father ran wildly into the house, to tell us that Shalmaneser was on his way to besiege Samaria. My mother and sister turned very pale; I began to weep when I saw them all so terrified, my father sat down and groaned in agony, but my eldest brother swore a great oath that he would have his revenge on the children of Asshur. At length my father said, 'We had better go into Samaria, we shall be safer there than in this village; and who can tell but what the King of Assyria may accept a present and go away?' So we went into Samaria, but my father and brothers still went out and laboured in the field as before."

"But," said Azriel, who was anxious to know what was the religion of his companion, and shocked by the absence of all reference to Jehovah in the story of His judgments, "but did thy father ever take thee to Bethel, to worship the golden calf set up by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat?"

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Once I went there with my father and my brothers; but my mother, who always hated the worship of the calf, would not go with us. It was at the great feast, on the 15th day of the eighth month, that I saw the sacred image, which looked very strange