ntentions upon the sheep.

From where he stood he was able to see that the light glimmered out
of an unglazed window in a wattled cabin, evidently the sleeping
place of the shepherd. After Garret had quieted the dog, he
remained gazing for a few minutes at this steady light, and then
(he scarcely knew why) he crept up very softly towards the little
cabin, and looked in at the orifice.

The sight that he saw aroused his quickened interest. The place was
very small--only large enough to contain a few sacks of straw for
the bed, over which a couple of fleeces had been thrown by way of
covering, a small rough table, on which a rush light stood,
together with a few wooden platters, a loaf of bread, and a
pitcher. A box was the only seat, and upon it sat a grizzled, bent
old man, with his back towards the window, and his head bent low
over the table.

By shifting his position very slightly, Garret was able to see that
he was bending over a book which lay open beneath the rush light,
and that with his forefinger he was pointing slowly along the line.

Garret held his breath in astonishment. In towns, at this time,
would be found here and there a humble artisan or labouring man who
could read, and amongst such the desire for the printed Scriptures
was always keen and ardent. But out here in these lonely wilds, far
away from the haunts of man, it was a strange sight to see an old
shepherd with a book before him. The boys of the rising generation
were beginning to be taught reading and writing in the grammar
schools now springing up in the towns, but hinds of the age of this
man were generally absolutely ignorant of letters in any form
whatever.

The sound of a voice broke the stillness. The old man had begun to
read the words aloud.

"I will--smite the--shepherd--and the--sheep--shall be scattered--"

Suddenly a great wave of emotion came upon Garret, and he uttered a
strangled cry. The old man hastily thrust his book into the bosom
of his coarse tunic, and gazed out of the opening with a strange
expression of doubt and fear.

"What was that?" he asked, as he rose to his feet; and Garret,
flinging back his priest's hood, looked fearlessly in at the
aperture.

"It is a friend, who loves the holy Word of God, and loves all who
are bold enough to love and cherish it, also a man to whom a
message has been sent through you, my worthy friend. Open the door
and let us clasp hands, for I know that the Lord hath sent me
hit