tic scenery were found but two
living beings--a poor boy and a mangled wretch--a murderer--soon to
breathe his last, and be summoned before an offended God. As I remained
motionless by his side, I felt, as I looked up, a sensation of awe, but
not of fear; I thought to myself--"And God made all this and all the
world besides, and me and him. The Bible said so;" and my speculation
then was as to what God must be, for although I had read the Bible, I
had but a confused idea, and had it been asked me, as it was to the man
in the chariot by Philip, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" I
most certainly should have answered, No. I remained for nearly two
hours in this reverie, and at last fell asleep with my back against the
rock. I was, however, wakened up by Jackson's voice, when he asked in a
low tone for water.

"There it is," said I, handing it to him. "Have you called long?"

"No," replied he, "I asked but once."

"I have been asleep," said I.

As soon as he had drunk, he said--"I will finish now; my side begins to
burn." He then proceeded--"It was about four months after your father's
death, that Captain James and I went together to the ravine to collect
firewood. We passed under the wall of rock, which you know so well, and
went through the gap, as we call it, when Captain James left the
water-course and walked along the edge of the wall. I followed him: we
both of us had our pieces of rope in our hands with which we tied the
faggots. Of a sudden his foot slipped, and he rolled down to the edge
of the rock, but catching hold of a small bush which had fixed its roots
in the rocks, he saved himself when his body was hanging half over the
precipice.

"`Give me the end of your rope,' said he to me, perfectly collected,
although in such danger.

"`Yes,' replied I, and I intended so to do, as I perceived that, if I
refused, he could still have saved himself by the bush to which he
clung.

"But the bush began to loosen and give way, and Captain James perceiving
it cried out--

"`Quick, quick, the bush is giving way!'

"This assertion of his determined me not to give him the rope. I
pretended to be in a great hurry to do so, but entangled it about my
legs, and then appeared occupied in clearing it, when he cried again--

"`Quick!'--and hardly had he said the word when the root of the bush
snapped, and down he fell below.

"I heard the crash as he came to the rock beneath. See the judgment of
God--