business, Padre. The Lord don't
expect no praying from rough old salts like me."

"Sure and He does,--He does," said Brother Bart, roused into simple
earnestness. "What is high or low to Him? Isn't He the Lord and Maker of
the land and sea? Doesn't He give ye life and breath and strength and
health and all that ye have? And to stand up like a dumb brute under His
eye and never give Him a word of praise or thanks! I wonder at ye,
Jeroboam,--I do indeed! Sure ye'd be more dacent to any mortal man that
gave ye a bit and sup; but what ye're not taught, poor man, ye can't know.
Listen now: ye're to take us to church to-morrow according to your
bargain."

"Yes," said the Captain, gruffly; "but thar warn't no bargain about
preaching and praying and singing."

"Sure I don't ask it,", said Brother Bart, sadly. "You're in haythen
darkness, Jeroboam, and I haven't the wisdom or the knowledge or the
holiness to lade ye out; but there's one prayer can be said in darkness as
well as in light. All I ask ye to do is to stand for a moment within the
church and turn your eyes to the lamp that swings like a beacon light
before the altar and whisper the words of that honest man in the Bible
that didn't dare to go beyant the holy door, 'O God, be merciful to me a
sinner!' Will ye do that?"

"Wal, since that's all ye ask of me, Padre," said Captain Jeb,
reflectively, "I can't say no. I've thought them words many a time when
the winds was a-howling and the seas a-raging, and it looked as if I was
bound for Davy Jones' Locker before day; but I never knew that was a
fair-weather prayer. But I'll say it as you ask; and I'll avow, Padre,
that, for talking and praying straight to the point, you beat any preacher
or parson I ever heard yet."

"Preach, is it!" exclaimed Brother Bart. "Sure I never preached in my
life, and never will. But I'll hold ye to your word, Jeroboam; and, with
God's blessing, we'll be off betimes to-morrow morning.--Here come the
boys: and, Holy Mother, look at the boatful of clawing craythurs they have
with them!"

"Lobsters, Brother Bart!" shouted Freddy, triumphantly. "Lobsters, Captain
Jeb! Fine big fellows. I'm hungry as three bears."

XIII.--AT BEACH CLIFF.

Brother Bart and his boys were up betimes for their Sunday journey.
Breakfast was soon dispatched, and four sunburned youngsters were ready
for their trip to town. Dud and Jim, who had been lounging around
Killykinick in sweaters and middies, were