ocean.

"I am afraid our chance of being picked up by the schooner is gone," I
observed to Paul. "She very probably, when the breeze comes, will stand
away from us."

"There is no such thing as chance, Massa Harry," he answered. "If it is
God's will she come, if not, He find some other way to save us. Let us
pray that He do what He judge best."

Thereon Paul, without waiting for my reply, knelt down in the bottom of
the boat and lifted up his voice in prayer to our merciful Father in
heaven, for that protection which we more than ever felt we so much
needed. I imitating his example, heartily joined him.

As we sat in the boat side by side talking together, for neither of us
were inclined to sleep, I asked him how it was that he, a common sailor,
had become so well instructed a Christian?

"Ah, Massa Harry, I knew about Jesus when I quite a little boy; but only
a few years ago I learned to love Him and trust to Him as I now do," he
answered. "I'll tell you how dis was. When I piccaniny I hab kind
fader and moder, and we live in Yourba country, in our own village, far
away. One night the enemy come and attack the village, and carry off
many men and women and children. My fader take me up and run away into
de wood, my moder follow, but she fall, and the slaver people catch her
and take her with the rest. My poor fader, like to break him heart, but
for my sake he live and hide away till the slaver people gone. He tried
to find my moder, but from dat day to dis he neber hear of her more.
After some time it was told him dat a great many people go to a place
called Abeokuta, and dat dere day built town, and let no slave-takers
come near them, so my fader go there, and we live there, and work and
grow rich, and many more people come, and we not fear any of our
enemies. All the people were heathens, and prayed to the fetish.

"After some time many people come from Sierra Leone, who had been
carried off in slavers, and taken by the English cruisers, and landed
there. They find relations and friends in Abeokuta, and so they stop to
live with us. Some of them had learned in Sierra Leone about God and
His Son Jesus Christ, and they tell us, and many of the people of
Abeokuta say they will no longer pray to the fetish, but will only pray
to God, and love Him and serve Him. My fader was among these, and now
the only thing he cared for in life was to listen to the missionaries
and hear about Jesus Christ. Only one