at, if I live," said Meon, and I must have
drifted back to my dreams about Northumbria and beautiful France, for
it was broad daylight when I heard him calling on Wotan in that high,
shaking heathen yell that I detest so.

'"Lie quiet. I'm giving Wotan his chance," he said. Our dear Eddi ambled
up, still beating time to his imaginary choir.

'"Yes. Call on your Gods," he cried, "and see what gifts they will send
you. They are gone on a journey, or they are hunting."

'I assure you the words were not out of his mouth when old Padda shot
from the top of a cold wrinkled swell, drove himself over the weedy
ledge, and landed fair in our laps with a rock-cod between his teeth. I
could not help smiling at Eddi's face. "A miracle! A miracle!" he cried,
and kneeled down to clean the cod.

'"You've been a long time finding us, my son," said Meon. "Now
fish--fish for all our lives. We're starving, Padda."

'The old fellow flung himself quivering like a salmon backward into the
boil of the currents round the rocks, and Meon said, "We're safe. I'll
send him to fetch help when this wind drops. Eat and be thankful."

'I never tasted anything so good as those rock-codlings we took from
Padda's mouth and half roasted over the fire. Between his plunges Padda
would hunch up and purr over Meon with the tears running down his face.
I never knew before that seals could weep for joy--as I have wept.

'"Surely," said Eddi, with his mouth full, "God has made the seal the
loveliest of His creatures in the water. Look how Padda breasts the
current! He stands up against it like a rock; now watch the chain of
bubbles where he dives; and now--there is his wise head under that
rock-ledge! Oh, a blessing be on thee, my little brother Padda!"

'"You said he was a child of the Devil!" Meon laughed. '"There I
sinned," poor Eddi answered. "Call him here, and I will ask his pardon.
God sent him out of the storm to humble me, a fool."

'"I won't ask you to enter into fellowships and understandings with any
accursed brute," said Meon, rather unkindly. "Shall we say he was sent
to our Bishop as the ravens were sent to your prophet Elijah?"

'"Doubtless that is so," said Eddi. "I will write it so if I live to get
home."

'"No--no!" I said. "Let us three poor men kneel and thank God for His
mercies."

'We kneeled, and old Padda shuffled up and thrust his head under Meon's
elbows. I laid my hand upon it and blessed him. So did Eddi.

'"And now, my