all
the children at their cottage. It was carried on under difficulties,
for they had only one book, but that was the Bible. The young ladies
devised, however, various means for teaching the little ones. Some thin
flat stones served as slates, and young Broke cut out several sets of
letters from wood, which were greatly valued. On Sunday the whole party
assembled in the men's hut, where Harry had conducted a service, and
every evening also he had borrowed Mrs Morley's Bible, and read a
chapter to the men. During his absence she now did the same. This
system tended greatly to keep the people contented and orderly. They
saw that those of superior education among them were resigned to the
trials they were called on to endure, and were trusting to the support
and protection of that great and merciful God whose message of love to
man they every day heard read, and who would send them relief in His
good time.

Young as Harry Shafto was, by his firmness and decision he had
maintained a strict discipline among the little band, and even the few
who might have been disposed to be mutinous never ventured to dispute
his authority. Even now that he was absent, they implicitly obeyed the
doctor, whom he had left in command.

Poor Ensign Holt has not been mentioned for some time. He had gradually
been improving in health and spirits.

"Come, Holt," said Dr Davis to him one morning. "It is time that you
should rouse yourself. We are all exerting ourselves to the utmost for
the common good, and I wonder you are not ashamed to sit in the hut
doing nothing. Surely it is more degrading to eat the bread of idleness
than to labour like the rest of us. Take a spade in hand, and come and
dig for roots; or, if you like it better, try to catch, some fish. At
least endeavour to gain your daily bread."

"If I do anything, I'll work as hard as the rest of you," said the
ensign, with more intelligence in his countenance than had long been
there. "What are you going to be about, doctor?"

"To dig for roots. That I suspect was among the first occupations of
primeval man, and requires no great exertion of the mind," answered the
doctor. "Here is a spade. Come along."

Without another word the young officer followed his kind friend, and
having been shown the leaf beneath which the root was to be found, set
to work and dug away diligently till he had collected as many as he
could carry. The doctor sent him back to the village wi