he had thus fled away from the world, David said simply that he
had done so that he might pray to God in peace. Then the master said
that there were many waking hours in the day, and he knew not what there
might be to say prayers about, "for," he said, "you have no book to make
prayers out of, like the priests, and you have no store of good-sounding
words with which to catch the ear of God." Then David said that he
prayed to God to guard all things great and small, and to help himself
along the steep road to heaven. Then the master wondered very much, and
said that a man must please himself, and no doubt it was a holy work.
Then he asked a little shamefacedly for David to pray for him, that he
might be kept safe from shipwreck, and have good fortune for fishing, to
which David replied, "Oh, I do that already."

Before the master went away, and he stayed not long, he asked David how
he lived, and offered him food. And David being then in a strait--for he
had lately vowed to take no life, said gladly that he would have
anything they could give him. So the master gave him some victual. And
it happened, just at this time, that some of the boats from the village
had a wonderful escape from a storm, and through that season they caught
fish in abundance; so it was soon noised abroad that this was all
because of David's prayers; and after that he never had need of food,
for they brought him many little presents, such as eggs, fruit, and
bread--for he would take no meat--giving them into his hands when he was
on the lower rocks, or leaving them on a ledge in the cove when he was
aloft. And as, when the fish were plenteous, they gave him food in
gratitude, and when fish were scarce, they gave it him even more
abundantly that they might have his prayers, David was never in lack; in
all of which he saw the wonderful hand of God working for him.

Now David pondered very much how he might keep a light aloft on
dangerous nights.

His first thought was to find a sheltered place among the rocks to
seaward, where his fire could burn and not be extinguished by the wind;
but, though he climbed all about the rocks, he could find no place to
his mind. One day, however, he was in the furthest recess of his cave,
when he felt that among the rocks a little thin wind blew constantly
from one corner; and feeling about with his hands, he found that it came
out of a small crack in the rocks. The stone above it seemed to be
loose; and he perceive