Page:Legends of Old Testament Characters.djvu/146

124 But no one could be found to undertake the execution of this deed, save the red-haired child. He went to the fountain where the camel was drinking, and with one kick he knocked her over, and with another kick he despatched her. But the foal, seeing the fate of her mother, ran away, and the boy with the red hair and blue eyes ran after her. Saleh, seeing what had taken place, cried, "The judgment of God is about to fall."

The people were frightened, and asked, "What shall we do?"

"The judgment of God will not fall as long as the colt remains among you."

Hearing this, the whole population went in pursuit of the young camel. Now it had fled to the mountain whence it had sprung, and the red-haired boy was close on its heels. And when the young camel heard the shouting of the inhabitants of the city, and saw the multitude in pursuit, it stood before the rock, turned round, uttered three piercing cries, and vanished. The Thamudites arrived and beat the rock, but they could not open it. Then said Saleh, "The judgment of God will fall; prepare to receive it. The first day your faces will become livid, the second day they will become black, and the third day red."

Things happened as Saleh had predicted. And when the signs befel them which Saleh had foretold, they knew that their end was near. The first day they became ash pale, the second day coal black, and the third day red as fire, and then there came a sound from heaven, and all fell dead on the earth, save Saleh and those who believed in him; these heard the sound, but did not perish. By the will of God, when the people were destroyed, one man was absent at Mecca; the name of this man was Abou-Ghalib. When he knew what had befallen his nation, he took up his residence in Mecca; but all the rest perished, as it is written in the Koran, "In the morning they were found dead in their houses, stretched upon the ground, as though they had never dwelt there." From Saleh to Abraham there was no prophet. At the time of that patriarch there was no king over all the earth.