n deck, he
would be disappointed. Peter now felt far more content than heretofore
about the safety of his Bible. He had frequently to go into the
captain's cabin to carry his meals from the caboose and to clean it out.
Generally Captain Hawkes took no notice of him, but one day, being in a
facetious humour, he exclaimed, "Well, boy, have you got through your
book yet?"

"No, sir," said Peter, "I don't expect to do so for a long time to
come."

"Look sharp, then," said the captain; "you will never be a sailor till
you have."

"I am afraid, sir, then, I never will become a sailor," said Peter,
quietly.

"How so?" asked Captain Hawkes.

"Because I shall wish to read the book till the last day of my life. I
want to read it to know how to live, and just as much to know how to
die."

"We can live very well without it, I have a notion," said the captain;
"but as to dying, that may be a different matter."

"Beg pardon, sir," said Peter, "but I have been taught that it is one
and the same thing. If you like, sir, I'll read to you all about it
from the book."

"No, no; I want none of your Bible reading," answered the captain.

"But, sir," said Peter, feeling a bold spirit rise within him, "if the
ship was to go down, and we all were drowned, and had to stand before
God, how those who had the words, `Depart, ye accursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,' spoken to them would wish
that they had listened to God's word, and been prepared to meet Him as
their Judge."

"Get out of the cabin, you little canting hypocrite," exclaimed the
captain, fiercely, for God's words uttered by the young boy had struck
home to his conscience; but he "loved darkness rather than light,
because his deeds were evil," and he sought to avoid the light.

Peter went on deck with a feeling of deep sorrow at his heart that the
captain would not listen. He wished, however, that he had spoken to him
rather of God's love to sinners than of his threatenings. "The mention
of that great love might have touched his heart," he thought; "I will
tell him of it another time."

He often tried when he could speak alone to any of the men to get them
to allow him to read from his book; but he was told to keep it to
himself, no one on board wanted it. He hoped, however, to succeed by
perseverance; and perhaps when they found that he was becoming a smart
and active sailor, and could lay out on the yards and reef and steer a