t
comfort we can out o' the hope. Talkin' o' comfort, what d'ee think has
bin comfortin' me in a most wonderful way? You'll never guess."

"What is it, then?"

"One o' them little books as Miss Robinson writes, and gives to soldiers
and sailors--`The Victory' it's called, havin' a good deal in it about
Nelson's flagship and Nelson himself; but there's a deal more than that
in it--words that has gone straight to my heart, and made me see God's
love in Christ as I never saw it before. Our comrade Stevenson gave it
to me before we was nabbed by the Arabs, an' I've kep' it in the linin'
o' my straw hat ever since. You see it's a thin little thing--though
there's oceans o' truth in it--an' it's easy stowed away.

"I forgot all about it till I was left alone in this place, and then I
got it out, an' God in his marcy made it like a light in the dark to me.

"Stevenson came by it in a strange way. He told me he was goin' over a
battle-field after a scrimmage near Suakim, lookin' out for the wounded,
when he noticed somethin' clasped in a dead man's hand. The hand
gripped it tight, as if unwillin' to part with it, an' when Stevenson
got it he found that it was this little book, `The Victory.' Here it
is. I wouldn't change it for a golden sov, to every page."

As he spoke, footsteps were heard approaching the door. With a startled
air Molloy thrust the book into its place and sprang up.

"See there, now!" he said remonstratively, "who'd ever ha' thowt that
I'd come to jerk about like that?"

Before the door opened, however, the momentary weakness had passed away,
and our seaman stood upright, with stern brow and compressed lips,
presenting to those who entered as firm and self-possessed a man of
courage as one could wish to see.

"I knowed it!" he said in a quiet voice to his friend, as two strong
armed men advanced and seized him, while two with drawn swords stood
behind him. At the same time, two others stood guard over Miles.
"They're goin' to give me another turn. God grant that it may be the
last!"

"Yes--de last. You be surely dead dis time," said the interpreter, with
a malignant smile.

"If _you_ hadn't said it, I would have had some hope that the end was
come!" said Molloy, as they put a rope round his neck and led him away.

"Good-bye, Miles," he added, looking over his shoulder; "if I never come
back, an' you ever gets home again, give my kind regards to Miss
Robinson--God bless her!"

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