Clifford's voice quietly speaking, yet in such distinct fashion that,
although he was kneeling out on the edge of the 'dobe flats, what he
said was plainly heard by Bauer where he lay and unless he had covered
his ears he could not avoid catching the words.

"O Thou Dayspring from on high, what a glorious world we live in!
Forgive us that we shut our eyes to its beauty and close our ears to its
music. I thank you, God, for a good night's sleep and a good morning's
wakening. Help all of us to make it a good day for one another. We think
so much of ourselves, of our body's comfort, and what we shall eat and
drink and be clothed withal that sometimes a whole day has gone and we
no nearer the Kingdom. We've lost our way in the desert and the water
all gone. We are going to start out to-day to see these poor creatures
of yours go through their ancient prayer for rain. Forgive them, good
God. How should they know any better. No one ever told them of a better
way. And there's old Touchiniteel, poor old savage. I would give
anything, most anything, to see him brought into the fold. Is he too old
to be saved, Lord Jesus? Can't you save him? It's not easy, I know, but
we aren't asking you to do easy things out here. Most of them are hard,
but don't you like to do hard things? Isn't that what being God means?
And Peshlekietsetti--he's another, I want to see him saved. And old
Begwoettin. You know how the old man never told a lie in his life. And
he loves his grandchildren. Why, he would die in a minute for Ansa and
Riba. He can't be so very bad. Somehow I can't think of his being lost.
He isn't half so bad as Jake Rambeau, the trader. And Jake's had a high
school education and calls himself civilised.

"We are all in need of the Spirit's presence to-day. I want more of the
presence. My heart longs to walk with the Master to-day. If the Master
will be gentle with me as he was with Peter two or three times when he
didn't deserve it, I would be glad. O Master, tell me your will. I need
you so much, so much------"

And then the sound of the voice trailed off into a murmur
indistinguishable to Bauer from where he lay. But he knew that Elijah
Clifford had thrown himself full length on the ground and was pleading
in his own way for the Divine presence, for victory over himself and
triumph for the Kingdom in that desert, for once in the dawn when he had
heard his voice, Bauer had poked a hole through the dirt over the wall
of the hoga