time to see Saib.

When Saib saw that he was seen, and that he was known, he fell on his
knees, and, oh, how much was told in that one look of his!

"My poor boy!" said Mr. Bright, "what you must have gone through, to
have made you make choice of such a life as this." As he spoke he saw
the hole in the side of the room through which Saib had come.

He found that it was a place made to keep things in that were out of
use, and it was so small that there was not room for Saib to lie down
in. Mrs. Bright did not know that there was such a place, and when it
was shut, the door was so like the rest of the side of the room, that
no one could have told there was a door there.

Saib had known of it, for he had seen a man put cords and ropes there,
at a time when the berths in that room were not in use. The place was
not quite dark--there were small holes on the deck of that part of the
ship, which let in light and air.

When Saib found that the looks of Mr. and Mrs. Bright were kind, hope
took the place of fear, and, by signs and such words as he could speak,
he made known his wish that they would let him stay where he had been,
till the ship came to shore.

Mr. and Mrs. Bright felt so much grief for the state the poor boy was
in, that they each had a strong wish to save him from all chance of
more pain, and they knew that the best way to do this would be to buy
him from Mr. Stone.

They made this wish known to Saib, and who could have seen the gleam of
joy shed on the face of Saib, when he knew what Mr. and Mrs. Bright
meant to do--who could have seen it, and not have felt joy too?

Mr. Stone, as has been said, was a hard man, and Mr. Bright had to fear
that he might be in such a rage at what Saib had done, that he would
not sell him.

Yet, though Mr. Stone _was_ a hard man, he was a man who had so great a
wish to be a rich man, that he could not say _no_, when there was gain
in his way; and though he was at first in a great rage, the sum Mr.
Bright said he would give for Saib was so large a one, that Mr. Stone
did not say no.

What was the joy of poor Saib when told he should be free!--what was
the joy of poor Saib when he found how much thought and care Mr. and
Mrs. Bright had for him!

They took Saib with them to their own home, and had him taught all
things that could be of use to him in the new state in which he now
was.

Saib is now more than twelve years old; he has learnt to read, to
write, to speak the