g him on Sunday, and he could not bear to think of their being
disappointed. With no small effort had he gathered them together, and a
single failure on his part he knew would have disastrous effect upon
the attendance. He was especially concerned about the service at Bull
Crossing, which was at once the point where the work was the most
difficult, and, at the present juncture, most encouraging. Under his
instructions Barney sought to secure a substitute for the service at
Bull Crossing, but without result. Preachers were scarce in that country
and every preacher had more work in sight than he could overtake. And so
Dick fretted and wrought himself into a fever, until the doctor took him
sternly to task.

"I don't see that it's your business to worry, Dick," he said. "I
suppose you consider yourself as working under orders, and it is your
belief, isn't it, that the One who gives the orders is the One who has
laid you down here?"

"That's true," said Dick wearily, "but there's the people. A lot of
them come a long way. It's been hard to get them together, and I hate to
disappoint them."

"Well, we'll get someone," replied Barney. "We're a pretty hard
combination to beat, aren't we, Margaret? There will be a man to take
the service at Bull Crossing if I have to take it myself--a desperate
resort, indeed."

"Why not, Barney?" asked Dick. "You could do it well."

"What? Did you ever hear me talk? I can talk a little with my fingers,
but my tongue is unconscionably slow."

"There was a man once slow of speech," replied Dick quietly, "but he was
given a message and he led a nation into freedom."

Barney nodded. "I remember him. But he could do things."

"No," answered Dick, "but he believed God could do things."

"Perhaps so. That was rather long ago."

"With God," replied Dick earnestly, "there is no such thing as long
ago."

"All the same," said Barney, "I guess these things don't happen now."

"I believe they happen," replied his brother, "where God finds a man who
will take his life in his hand and go."

"Well, I don't know about that," replied Barney, "but I do know that you
must quit talking and sleep. Now, hear me, drop that meeting out of your
mind. I'll look after it."

But Saturday came and, in spite of every effort on Barney's part, he
found no one for the service at Bull Crossing next day. There was
still a slight hope that one of the officials of the congregation would
consent to be a stop-gap f