he warmth-giving luminary. A simultaneous cheer rose from the
boats' crews as they beheld the spectacle; and, with redoubled efforts,
they gave way to meet the ship. The Reefians saw that their prospect of
catching us was gone; and giving us a parting, though happily harmless
volley, they pulled round, and made all haste to the shore, to avoid
being themselves in their turn pursued and captured. We were, soon
after this, on board, and heartily welcomed. The poor fellows--there
were four or five of them who had been badly wounded--were carried to
their hammocks, and tended carefully by the surgeon. Adam Stallman was
conveyed to Mr Vernon's berth in the gun-room. He was evidently more
hurt than anybody else. The doctor gave a very unfavourable report of
his case to the captain from the first. Every one on board grieved much
to hear of his danger, for he was much beloved; but he seemed calm and
contented. When I saw him his looks were cheerful--a smile was on his
lips. Few would have believed that he was a person about shortly to
die, and that he full well knew it. It was not a stoical indifference
to death; not the courage of a man endowed with physical hardihood; but
true Christian fortitude and resignation to the will of God, trust in
his Maker's promises, hope in the future, which supported him. We were
now returning to Malta; for Captain Poynder saw that there would be no
use of attempting to punish the Reefians for their late acts, and that
we should certainly only be the chief sufferers if we attacked them.

One day Adam Stallman sent for Dicky Sharpe and me.

"My dear boys," he said, "I have sometimes given you good advice, and I
much regret that I have not given you more, as you always took it well.
I may never have an opportunity of speaking to you again."

"Oh! don't say so, Stallman," sobbed my young messmate. "Don't die!
You must recover, and stay with us."

"Life and death are in God's hands alone," replied Adam Stallman. "As
you have a regard for me, promise me that you will try not to forget
what I say to you. Remember always that you were sent into this world
as a place of trial--that you have numberless bad propensities existing
in you, and many temptations constantly offered to you--that your trial
consists in the way you conquer the one and resist the other; but also
recollect that you have no power whatever of yourselves to do this--that
of yourselves you would not even know how to res