re in their hands.

Boldness is often successful where timidity would fail. Without
hesitation, or even consultation with his friends, Mamba went straight
to the palace and demanded permission to visit the Maker of Medicine.
He was allowed to pass and conducted by an official to the quarters of
Mark Breezy, who was seated with Hockins and Ebony at the time.

Great was their surprise at seeing their friend.

"Why, Mamba! I thought you had gone to Tamatave?" said Mark, shaking
hands heartily with him.

"Yis--yis--I hoed," said Mamba, and then endeavoured to tell something
of his doings in English; but his knowledge of that language was so very
imperfect that they could make nothing of it. They understood him,
however, when he cautiously and lovingly drew the Testament from its
hiding-place and gave it into Mark's hands.

"What am I to do with it, my poor friend?" said Mark. "I know that you
have no chance of retaining it, after the decree that has just been
passed."

"Keep 'im--keep--for _me_," said Mamba, anxiously.

"I will do so, if I can, but it may not be possible," answered Mark.

"Yis, keep--safe. Got 'im for me mudder."

"You're a brick," cried Ebony, enthusiastically grasping the man's hand,
for he had a great love for his own mother, and experienced a gush of
sympathy.

At that moment there was a loud knocking at the door, and Mark had
barely time to slip the Testament into his coat pocket when
Hater-of-lies entered with his silver spear and attendants. Seizing
hold of poor Mamba, without uttering a word they led him away.

Hockins instantly followed, and Ebony was about to do the same when Mark
laid his hand on his shoulder and checked him.

"What would you do, Ebony?"

"Look arter 'Ockins, massa."

"Hockins is well able to look after himself. No doubt he has gone to
see where they take Mamba to. One pair of eyes is enough for that.
Your company would only trouble him."

A few minutes later the seaman returned with the information that the
unfortunate man had been cast into the prison, from which they had been
so recently released.

At this time the Christians in the island possessed numerous entire
copies of the Scriptures, besides a large number of Testaments and
Psalms, and books of a religious character, which, having been secreted,
had escaped the destruction of previous persecutions. Some of these
were now given up and destroyed. Many of the more timid among the
natives came