r from starvation and
sickness, that He might lead you to Himself."

"We dare say you speak the truth, Mr Hayes," answered one of the men;
"but it's hard to believe that God, if He is as kind as you say, should
allow us to suffer as we are doing."

"He allowed His faithful apostles of old, and many thousands of
Christians since then, to suffer far more than we are doing; and yet
they acknowledged to the last that He does all things well," answered
old Tom. "I have just told you why He allows you to suffer; and
remember what Saint Paul says, `The sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
us.'"

Tom's address served as the funeral sermon of poor Bill, who was shortly
afterwards lifted overboard by his sorrowing companions.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

SAVAGES AND MISSIONARIES.

It was again night. For the greater part of it old Tom sat at the helm,
while a gentle breeze wafted them on. Once more the sun rose. It was
Harry's watch. As he glanced round the horizon, he caught sight of a
blue undulating line to the south-west. At first he thought that it was
a bank of clouds, but at length he was convinced that it was land he
saw.

"Land! land!" he cried out.

His shouts aroused all the sleepers.

"Land it is! there is no doubt about that!" said old Tom, taking his
seat at the helm and steering towards it.

As they approached they saw it was an island of some extent, with hills
covered with trees, but a coral reef intervened. A passage, however,
was at length discovered. How eagerly the famished crew longed to get
on shore to quench their burning thirst and satisfy their hunger!

The first object which met their sight, as they pulled into a small
picturesque bay, was a stream of water, which came sparkling and foaming
down the side of the hill. Not far off was a grove of cocoa-nut palms,
near which were several other fruit-bearing trees. Without stopping to
ascertain whether any natives, were in the neighbourhood, they pulled to
the shore, and leaping out, rushed forward to quench their thirst at the
nearest point of the stream which they could reach. Some cocoa-nuts
were also quickly obtained, and sitting down, they soon emptied the
contents of the shells of several.

"If we had fallen in with this island two or three days ago, poor Bill,
maybe, would have been alive and merry now," observed one of the men.

"It might have been so, lads," said