sir," answered Peter, simply.

The captain smiled. "Well, I suppose it's something to fancy that," he
observed.

"But I know it, sir," said Peter firmly.

The captain cast a somewhat astonished glance at him. "Well, lad, you
must be hungry and sleepy; the steward will give you some food, and find
you a berth forward. If we have an opportunity, we will put you on
shore, that you may return to your friends."

"I have no friends on shore, sir," answered Peter, "and I want to go to
sea."

"Then do you wish to remain on board?" asked the captain.

"Yes, sir, please; I wish to visit foreign lands."

"Very well, you will have the chance with us, and I'll enter you as one
of the ship's boys," said the captain. "Below there!" he shouted, and
the steward, a black man, appeared. "Give this lad some food, and find
him a berth, Emery," said the captain, in a good-natured tone. Turning
aft he said to himself, "There is stuff in that lad, though he has
evidently been brought up among the Methodists."

The black steward took Peter into his pantry, and having given him a
good meal, pressing him to eat as much as he wanted, led him forward.
On the way he told him the ship was the _Primrose_, of 600 tons, bound
out to the Mauritius, and that afterwards she was to visit other places
in the Eastern Seas. Entering the seamen's berth, he pointed to one of
the standing bed-places on the side, and told him he might turn in and
go to sleep as long as he liked. Little Peter, who had never before
seen a black man, and fancied that all such were savages, was much
surprised to hear him speak English and address him in so kind a manner.

"Thank you," said Peter, "I do feel very sleepy, and am glad to go to
bed."

Before Peter took off his clothes, however, he knelt down, and from the
bottom of his heart returned thanks to God for having preserved his life
and brought him on board so fine a ship.

If Peter was surprised at the appearance of a black man, much more
astonished was the latter at seeing the boy in the attitude of prayer.
He stood a moment at the door gazing at him.

"What! the little chap pray and not afraid of being seen!" he muttered
to himself; "that beats anything I ever heard; I can't make it out."
Yet Emery did not feel angry at what he had seen; but as he went aft to
attend to his duties, he kept muttering, "Dat is strange; he not afraid;
can't make it out."

He was soon afterwards sound asleep, when the men