the occultist found the deepmost national secret of England's greatness. It was l. H. S. -- Jesu Hominem Salvator -- or, In Hoc Signo. (Jesu the Saviour of mankind, or, In this sign conquer.)

The Emir ordered the mystical formula I. H. S. to be inscribed on all his own possessions; curtains, rugs, gold and silver plate. "Go to, now, I also will be a great power," he said.

The Hebrews of old had an almost forgotten formula of faith. It was, "There shall no man be able to stand before thee" -- I will contend with him that contendeth with thee."

On this account the Jews were not allowed to number their army. They might have an army; but small or great in number, the Augment thereof should always be the Unseen Almighty, in Whose victorious alliance they firmly believed.

They just as firmly believed that if they numbered their army it would be defeated.

David had always conquered all foes with his invincible soldiery. He had become proud and hard-headed as victorious kings always become, and numbered his forces, though Joab his leading general implored him not to number them, saying, "The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be." But David made out the tally of his ranks, oblivious of Joab's protests.

Then Gad, who was David's occult reader of the outrushings of secretly held unspoken believings, told King David of the opening he had made for the outrush of the sub-reservoir of universal Hebrew certainty that numbering the army was disastrous. He showed David that numbering the army was doubting the Ally.