troyed. As he approached the
outer end of the tunnel a head suddenly appeared above ground, and as
suddenly vanished.

"Hallo!" exclaimed Peter in surprise.

"Hallo!" echoed the head, and reappeared blazing with astonishment. "Is
that you, Peter?"

"Ay, McCubine, that's me. I thought ye was a' deid. Hae ye ony
parritch i' the hole? I'm awfu' hungry."

"C'way in, lad: we've plenty to eat here, an guid company as weel--the
Lord be thankit."

The man led the way--familiar enough to Peter; and in the hidy-hole he
found several persons, some of whom, from their costume, were evidently
ministers. They paid little attention to the boy at first, being
engaged in earnest conversation.

"No, no, Mr. Cargill," said one. "I cannot agree with you in the stern
line of demarcation which you would draw between us. We are all the
servants of the most high God, fighting for, suffering for, the truth as
it is in Jesus. It is true that rather than bow to usurped power I
chose to cast in my lot with the ejected; but having done that, and
suffered the loss of all things temporal, I do not feel called on to
pronounce such absolute condemnation on my brethren who have accepted
the Indulgence. I know that many of them are as earnest followers of
Christ as ourselves--it may be more so--but they think it right to bow
before the storm rather than risk civil war; to accept what of
toleration they can get, while they hope and pray for more."

"In that case, Mr. Welsh," replied Cargill, "what comes of their
testimony for the truth? Is not Christ King in his own household?
Charles is king in the civil State. The oath which he requires of every
minister who accepts the Indulgence distinctly recognises him--the
king--as lord of the conscience, ruler of the spiritual kingdom of this
land. To take such an oath is equivalent to acknowledging the justice
of his pretensions."

"They do not see it in that light," returned Mr. Welsh. "I agree with
your views, and think our Indulged brethren in the wrong; but I counsel
forbearance, and cannot agree with the idea that it is our duty to
refuse all connection with them, and treat them as if they belonged to
the ranks of the malignants. See what such opinions have cost us
already in the overwhelming disaster at Bothwell Brig."

"Overwhelming disaster counts for nothing in such a cause as this,"
rejoined Cargill gravely. "The truth has been committed to us, and we
are bound to be valiant