s if the ship would go
down, or might be cast on some hidden reef, I've gone to sleep quite
happy, knowing that mother would be thinking of me, and praying for me,
and that there was One who hears our prayers, watching over me."

We were sitting down under some trees, on a hillock above the beach,
from which we could still see the _Rose_ beating off under close reefed
topsails. After some time our friendly native came up and sat down by
us. After a time, he signed to us to get up, and led us back to his
house. Our friend, we found, was the son of the greatest chief in the
island. When we got back to the house we had a supper of fish and pork,
and bread-fruit and other vegetables were placed before us. In the
middle of the house, as soon as it was dark, a fire of dried cocoa-nut
leaves was lighted, and round this the family collected. What was our
surprise to see the young chief bring out of a chest a book, and begin
to read. I looked at it, but though the letters were English, it was in
his own language. Then they all knelt down, and prayed, and sang a
psalm. I knew it by the tune.

"Why, Bill, I do believe these people are Christians," said I.

"So I suppose, Tom, if it is the Bible they are reading," said Bill.

"No doubt about it," I said; "that's the reason they treated us so
kindly. I've heard that missionaries have been out in these parts, and
they must have been here, and taught these people to be Christians."

"If they are Christians, Tom, then, maybe they won't kill and eat us as
we thought they would," said Bill, in a more cheerful voice than he had
spoken in before.

I couldn't help almost laughing as I answered, "They would be odd sort
of Christians if they did; but I'll tell you what, they'll think us very
odd sort of Christians if we don't kneel down, and say our prayers with
them. We needn't be afraid that any one will laugh at us, as we might
have been aboard the _Rose_."

"I can't say prayers, never learned," said Bill; "you never saw me
saying them aboard the _Rose_."

That was true; but mother had taught me to say mine, and I said them in
my berth, or to myself on deck, or wherever I could. I thought Bill
might have done the same. I felt that we were put to shame by these
poor savages, as we called them. So I begged Bill to try and say a
prayer, but he said he couldn't, he didn't know what to say. I asked
him if he could say what I did, and so we knelt down, and he said
prayers