he could even see his little
window in the front of the rocks, and he thought with grief that it
would be dark and silent henceforth. But he thought that he was somehow
in the hand of God; and that though to be dragged away from his home
seemed grievous, there must be some task to which the Father would
presently set him, even if it were to go down to death; and though the
cords that bound him were now very painful, and his heart was full of
sorrow, yet David felt a kind of peace in his spirit which showed him
that God was still with him.

When they got to the ship, there arose a dispute among the men as to
whether they should run out to sea before it was dark, or whether they
should lie where they were; there was but little wind, so they made up
their minds to stay. David himself thought from the look of the sky that
there was strong weather brewing. The old man who spoke English asked
him what he thought, and he told him that there would be wind. He seemed
to be disposed to believe David; but the men were tired, and it was
decided to stay.

They had unbound David that he might go on board; and the pain in his
hands and feet was very great when the bonds were unloosed; and when he
was on board they bound him again, but not so tightly, and led him down
into a cabin, close and dirty, where a foul and smoky lamp burnt. They
bade him sit in a corner. The low ill-smelling place was very grievous
to David, and he thought with a sore heart of his clean cold cave, and
his bed of fern. The men seemed to take no further heed of him, and went
about preparing a meal. There seemed to be little friendliness among
them; they spoke shortly and scowled upon each other; and David divined
that there had been some dispute aboard, and that they were ill-content.
There was little discipline, the men going and coming when they would.

Before long a meal was prepared; some sort of a stew with a rich strong
smell, that seemed very gross and foul to David, who had been used so
long to his simple fare. The men came in and took from the dish what
they desired; and a large jar was opened, which from its fierce smell
seemed to contain a hot and fiery spirit; and that it was so David could
easily discern, from the flushed faces and louder talk of the men, which
soon became mingled with a gross merriment. The old man brought a mess
of the food to David, who shook his head smiling. Then the other, with
more kindness than David had expected, asked if