e came a priest to see him, who abode with him for some
days, prayed with him, and taught him much of the faith. The priest gave
him a book, and showed him the letters; but David, though he longed to
read what was within, could not hold the letters in his head.

He tamed, too, the wild birds of the rock, so that they came to his
call; one was a gull, which became so fearless that it would come to his
cave, and sit silent on a rock, watching him while he worked. He kept a
fish, too, in a pool of the rocks, that would rise to the edge when he
approached.

But all this time he went not near to the village; for his solitude had
become very dear to him, and he prayed continually; and at evening and
morning and midday he would sing praises to God, simple words that he
had made.

One morning he awoke in the cave, and as he bestirred himself he thought
in his heart of all his happiness. It was a still morning, but the sky
was overcast. Suddenly he heard voices below him; and thinking that he
was needed, he descended the rocks quickly, and came down a little way
from a group of sailors who were standing on the shore; there was a boat
drawn up on the sand, and near at hand there lay at anchor a small ship,
that seemed to be of a foreign gear, and larger than he was wont to see.
He came somewhat suddenly upon the group, and they seemed, as it were,
to be amazed to see a man there. He went smilingly towards them, but as
he did so there came into his heart a feeling of danger, he knew not
what; and he thought that it would be better to retire up the rocks to
his cave, and wait till the men had withdrawn--for it was not likely
that they would visit him there, or that even if they saw the way
thither, they would adventure it, as it was steep and dangerous. But he
put the thought away and came up to them. They seemed to be conferring
together in low voices, and the nearer that he drew, the less he liked
their look. He spoke to them, but they seemed not to understand, and
answered him back very roughly in a tongue he did not understand. But
presently they put one forward, an old man, who had some words of
English, who asked him what he did there. He tried to explain that he
lived on the island, but the old man shook his head, evidently not
believing that there could be one living in so bare a place. Then the
men conferred again together, and presently the old man asked him, in
his broken speech, whether he would take service on the sh