ruths he had never before
comprehended. He read and read on, page after page.

"I would rather have this than every book on board!" he exclaimed.

He was surprised when he heard a hail from below, and found that the
boat had come for him.

Sunday came round, and old Tom urged his companions to make it a day of
rest. Harry now produced his Bible, greatly to old Tom's delight.
Morning and evening Tom had offered up a prayer, Harry and Bass and one
or two of the seamen joining him, though others showed no inclination to
do so.

Harry offered to read from his Bible, to which the men agreed; but
though they sat quiet and listened, some did so with apparent
indifference. He, however, selected such portions as he thought that
they would best understand. By degrees they became interested. He was
reading the fourteenth chapter of Matthew--the account of our Lord's
feeding five thousand men, besides women and children; followed by that
of Peter walking on the sea, when, through want of faith, he began to
sink, and the Lord stretched forth His hand and saved him, saying, "O
thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

"So, lads," observed old Tom, "you see how Jesus Christ fed the
multitudes when they were hungering, and saved Peter when in danger,
though his faith was weak. We have been fed, you will all allow, when
we thought we had reached a barren island where no food was to be found;
and in the same way, though I fear our faith is weak, He will take care
of us. Then it seems to me that we must give Him our hearts, just as
Peter stretched out his hands to Christ for safety."

"Old Tom speaks the truth, it seems to me," observed one of the men to a
companion, in an undertone. "If I thought that Jesus would hold out His
hand as He did to Peter, I should not despair; but I am such a terrible
bad fellow, that I am sure I could not keep straight by myself."

"Jesus is ready, not only to grasp the hand of every one who cries for
help, but when once He has got the man's hand in His He does not let it
go," said old Tom, who had overheard the remark.

When evening closed and the boat's crew lay down in their hut, several
of them acknowledged that they had never spent so happy a Sunday in
their lives.

CHAPTER SIX.

IN AN OPEN BOAT.

A fortnight had elapsed, still the _Steadfast_ did not return. The
whole island had been explored. It was found not to be more than a
couple of miles long, and scarcely ha