And at this place David's friends gathered from all the tribes of Israel, until around him was an army. It was not so large as the army of Absalom, but in it were more of the brave old warriors who had fought under David in other years. David divided his army into three parts, and placed over the three parts Joab, his brother Abishai, and Ittai, who had followed him so faithfully.

David said to the chiefs of his army and to his men, "I will go out with you into the battle."

But the men said to David, "No, you must not go with us; for if half of us should lose our lives, no one will care; but you are worth ten thousand of us, and your life is too precious. You must stay here in the city, and be ready to help us if we need help."

So the king stood by the gate of Mahanaim while his men marched out by hundreds and by thousands. And as they went past the king the men heard him say to the three chiefs, Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, "For my sake, deal gently with the young man, Absalom."

Even to the last David loved the son who had done to him such great wrong, and David would have them spare his life.

A great battle was fought on that day at a place called "The Wood of Ephraim," though it was not in the tribe of Ephraim, but of Gad, on the east of the Jordan. Absalom's army was under the command of a man named Amasa, who was a cousin of Joab; for his mother, Abigail, and Joab's mother, Zeruiah, were both sisters of David. So both the armies were led by nephews of King David. Absalom himself went into the battle, riding upon a mule, as was the custom of kings.

David's soldiers won a great victory, and killed thousands of Absalom's men. The armies were scattered in the woods, and many men were lost, so that it was said that the woods swallowed up more men than the sword. When Absalom saw that his cause was he rode away, hoping to escape. But as he was riding under the branches of an oak-tree, his head, with its great mass of long hair, was caught in the boughs of the tree. He struggled to free himself, but could not. His mule ran away, and Absalom was left hanging in the air by his head.

One of David's soldiers saw him, and said to Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."

"Why did you not kill him?" asked Joab. "If you had killed him I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a girdle."

"If you should offer me a thousand pieces of silver," answered the soldier, "I would not touch the king's son; for I heard the king charge all the generals and the men, 'Let no one harm the young man Absalom.' And if I had slain him, you yourself would not have saved my life from the king's anger."

"I cannot stay to talk with you," said Joab; and with three darts in his hand he hastened to the place where Absalom was hanging. He thrust Absalom's heart through with the darts, and after that his followers, finding that Absalom was still living, pierced his body until they were sure that he was dead. Then they took down his body, and threw it into a deep hole in the forest, and heaped a great pile of stones upon it.

During his life Absalom had built for himself a monument in the valley of the Kidron, on the east of Jerusalem. There he had expected to be buried; but though the monument stood long afterward, and was called "Absalom's pillar," yet Absalom's body lay not there, but under a heap of stones in the wood of Ephraim.

After the battle Ahimaaz, the son of the priest Zadok, came to Joab. Ahimaaz was one of the two young men who brought news from Jerusalem to David at the river Jordan, as we read in the last Story. He said to Joab, "Let me run to the king, and take to him the news of the battle."

But Joab knew that the message of Absalom's death would not be pleasing to King David, and he said, "Some other time you shall bear news, but not to-day, because the king's son is dead."

And Joab called a negro who was standing near, and said to him, "Go, and tell the king what you have seen."

The negro bowed to Joab, and ran. But after a time Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, again said to Joab, "Let me also run after the negro, and take news."

"Why do you wish to go, my son?" said Joab; "the news will not bring you any reward."

"Anyhow, let me go," said the young man; and Joab gave him leave. Then Ahimaaz ran with all his might, and by a better road over the plain, though less direct than the road which the negro had taken over the mountains. Ahimaaz outran the negro, and came first in sight to the watchman who was standing on the wall, while King David was waiting below in the little room between the outer and inner gates, anxious for news of the battle, but more anxious for his son, Absalom.

The watchman on the wall called down to the king, and said, "I see a man running alone."

And the king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing a message." He knew that if men were running away after a defeat in battle there would be a crowd together. Then the watchman called again, "I see another man running alone."

And the king said, "He also is bringing some news."

The watchman spoke again, "The first runner is coming near, and he runs like Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok."

And David said, "He is a good man, and he comes with good news." Ahimaaz came near, and cried out as he ran, "All is well!"

The first words which the king spoke were, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?"

Ahimaaz was too wise to bring to the king the word of Absalom's death. He left that to the other messenger, and said, "When Joab sent me, there was a great noise over something that had taken place, but I did not stop to learn what it was."

A little later came the negro, crying, "News for my lord the king! This day the Lord has given you victory over your enemies!"

And David said again, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?"

Then the negro, who knew nothing of David's feelings, answered, "May all the enemies of my lord the king, and all that try to do him harm, be as that young man is!"

Then the king was deeply moved. His sorrow over Absalom made him forget the victory that had been won. Slowly he walked up the steps to the room in the tower over the gate, and as he walked he said, "O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! I wish before God that I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"