spoke not of pious parents who
had given their children to God, with a Christian name which they
trusted would be registered in heaven. They told rather of lawless
lives, and a past which must be buried in oblivion or acknowledged with
shame and perhaps fear. "Fighting-cock," "Torpedo," "Brimstone," and
"the Slasher," were among the leaders who dubbed Blair with the title of
"Mum," and so saluted him on all occasions. Blair had a very
considerable sense of his own dignity, and was by no means pleased with
this style of address. Yet he showed his resentment by increased
taciturnity rather than by words. Captain Knox and Derry Duck soon found
out that Blair Robertson was no useless addition to the crew, and
promptly gave him his share in the watch and in other duties which his
strength would permit.

The hours of the watch were to Blair the most agreeable he now enjoyed.
In the silent night, with the sea below and the sentinel stars overhead,
he could commune with God, undisturbed by the wickedness of man.

Blair had not been a day on board the Molly, when Torpedo, a fiery young
Spaniard, spied him reading his pocket-Testament in a quiet part of the
ship. The book was snatched away and flung triumphantly into the water,
while Torpedo exclaimed in bad English that Blair should follow it if he
tried to force any of his canting notions on the free crew of the
privateer. Well was it for Blair that his mind was stored with chapter
after chapter of the precious volume, which would otherwise have been to
him now a sealed book. It surprised him to see how much of the
Scriptures he could by a strong effort recall, and most consoling and
cheering to him were those words of peace and power.

In one of these lonely watches, Blair's thoughts turned to his present
companions with his usual loathing. Suddenly there came to him the
image of these rough bad men in their days of babyhood, ere yet this
evil world had found its full response in the evil within their poor
human hearts. He could fancy the loving eye of God on those little ones,
following them along their dreary pathway, and grieving as thicker grew
the crust of sin over all that had been pure and childlike, and more and
more dark their coming doom. Blair realized for the first time the love
of God, the pure and holy God, for those wicked transgressors of his
law. "Yes," he thought, "it was while we were yet sinners Christ died
for us. He came not to call the righteous, but s