Page 124 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

the walls and gates, with not an eye turned in their direction. The river-level fell
rapidly, but it would still be a couple of hours before the water would be shallow
enough for the men to enter under the walls. So they patiently bided their time.

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Belshazzar had only taken about three swallows from the golden bowl in his hand,
before his eyes sweeping the high walls of the hall, were transfixed. The shock of
what he saw caused his shaking hands to release their hold upon the bowl which came
crashing to the table, shattering some crockery as it stuck.

His hands clutched his breast, his body began to sway, and his legs to shake and
his knees to smite against each other until he himself sank into his chair, his eyes still
glued to the wall.

The rest did not at first notice the object of his gaze, but seeing his agitation and
following the direction of his eyes and of a trembling finger which he pointed the
same way, they came to the identical phenomenon which he saw, and with almost the

same paralyzing effect.

There high on the plaster of the wall could be seen the fingers of an immense
hand, totally detached from any arm, one finger of which was slowly moving up and

down, inscribing letters and words with ink coming from some unknown source. So
deliberate was the movement of this great mysterious finger, that well before the
twenty-one letters composing the four words were complete, all the guests, the waiters
and even the cooks from the kitchen had been able to see the finger in process of

writing.

So great was the shock of the supernatural writing, that even the soberness induced
by excessive drink was beaten back, and a tense and fearful soberness possessed that

sinful assemblage. The inscription complete, the finger disappeared but the writing
remained – black letters on a light back-ground, of blazing clearness.

After a brief period of silence, Belshazzar cried in an agony of terror: “Can anyone
read those words?” The silence continued, there was not a single volunteer.

Belshazzar then screamed in desperation: “Then call in the astrologers, the
Chaldeans, the soothsayers, and the wise men. Go! Go! Hasten, delay not! Summon

them all to the palace and assure them of rich reward.”