reatest sympathy and kindness. Mrs Hart took poor Dickey under her
especial care, and gave him nourishing food in small quantities till she
saw that his strength was returning, and that his pulse was beating more
regularly. He could not help feeling, indeed, that it was mainly owing
to her care that his life was preserved.

In the course of two or three days the strength of all the party was
much restored, and Harry and old Tom were able to get up and join Mr
and Mrs Hart at their meals. They then gave an account of their
adventures. "You have indeed been mercifully preserved," observed Mr
Hart. "What confidence does it give us when we know that we are under
the protection of our Heavenly Father! Were it not for that, my wife
and I could not live as we do in this island, surrounded by hostile
savages, far away from other Europeans. It is true that we have with us
a small band of Christian natives; but their numbers are insufficient
for our defence, even if we wished them to fight. We have often been
threatened, but hitherto the heathens have been restrained from
attacking us. Many, indeed, have come to listen to the doctrines we
preach, and now one and now another has acknowledged Jehovah to be the
true God. The more progress we have made, the greater has been the
animosity of the heathens, and of late, instigated by their priests,
they have threatened our destruction. Still we persevere, in the hope,
whatever may happen, of gaining more souls for Christ's kingdom."

Harry was surprised to hear Mr Hart speak so calmly of the dangers
which surrounded him, and to observe that Mrs Hart did not appear in
any way alarmed.

"But if the heathen party attack you, what do you propose doing?" he
asked.

"We know that our friends will protect us as long as they have the power
to do so," answered the missionary. "We are perfectly resigned to
whatever God, in His providence, may allow. Should the heathens have
resolved to put us to death, we are sure that if God allows them to
succeed He has an important object in view, and that our death will
ultimately tend to His honour and glory. At the same time, should means
of escape be afforded us, we should consider it our duty to take
advantage of them. Our friends know of some hiding-places in the
mountains to which they have promised to take us, should they obtain
timely notice of an intended attack on the station; but we suspect that,
even should we succeed in reachin