shed in the
persecutions. The New Testament bears the date of 1830, the Old
Testament that of 1835.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

IN PRISON--EFFECTS OF A FIRST SIGHT OF TORTURE.

A new day had begun, cattle were lowing on the distant plain, and birds
were chirping their matutinal songs in bush and tree when Mark Breezy,
John Hockins, and James Ginger--_alias_ Ebony--awoke from their uneasy
rest on the prison floor and sat up with their backs against the wall.
Their chains rattled sharply as they did so.

"Well now," said Hockins, gasping forth his morning yawn in spite of
circumstances, "I've many a time read and heard it of other folk, but I
never did think I should live to hear my own chains rattle."

"Right you are, 'Ockins; ob course I's got de same sentiments zactly,"
said the negro, lifting up his strong arm and ruefully surveying the
heavy iron links of native manufacture that descended from his wrist.

Mark only sighed. It was the first time he had ever been restrained,
even by bolt or bar, much less by manacles, and the effect on his young
mind was at first overwhelming.

Bright though the sun was outside, very little of its light found a
passage through the chinks of their all but windowless prison-house, so
that they could scarcely see the size or character of the place. But
this mattered little. They were too much crushed by their misfortune to
care. For some time they sat without speaking, each feeling quite
incapable of uttering a word of cheer to his fellows.

The silence was suddenly but softly broken by the sound of song. It
seemed to come from a very dark corner of the prison, in which nothing
could be seen. To the startled prisoners it sounded like heavenly
music--and indeed such it was, for in that corner sat two Christian
captives who were spending the first minutes of the new day in singing
praise to God.

The three comrades listened with rapt attention, for although the words
were unintelligible, with the exception of the name of Jesus, the air
was quite familiar, being one of those in which English-speaking
Christians are wont to sing praise all the world over.

When the hymn ceased one of the voices was raised in a reverent and
continuous tone, which was obviously the voice of prayer.

Just as the petition was concluded the sun found a loop-hole in the
prison, and poured a flood of light into it which partly illumined the
dark corner, and revealed two men seated on the ground with t