The History of Little Peter, the Ship Boy Part 8

"What does Abraham's bosom mean?" asked the captain.

"Heaven, sir," answered Peter; "it must be a glorious place, for Christ has gone before to prepare it for those who love Him."

"I hope when I die I shall go there," murmured the captain, more to himself than Peter; "I have not been a bad man, or done much harm to any one, and have tried to do my duty, and have never got drunk at sea; and I hope I have done some good in my time, so I should think G.o.d would let me into heaven."

Peter prayed that he might give a right answer. "G.o.d says, sir, in His book, that 'there is none that doeth good, no, not one,' and that 'He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' The rich man we have been reading about does not seem to have done much harm, and very likely he thought himself pretty good, and yet he went to h.e.l.l."

"Then how is a man ever to get to heaven?" asked the captain, somewhat petulantly.

"G.o.d says, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'

He wants us to take Him at His word. He tells us that our own good deeds are as filthy rags, and that we must trust to the sacrifice of Christ, to His blood shed for us; and thus we shall be clothed with His righteousness, with His pure and spotless robe; and so G.o.d will not look upon our iniquities, because He has accepted Christ's punishment instead of what we deserved, and we shall therefore not be punished."

Thus Peter continued to place the loving Gospel before his captain. The latter listened, often asking some more questions. At last he put his hands before his eyes, and murmured, "It's wonderful that a mere boy should know all this, and be able to explain it so clearly. It's true; yes, I am sure of that."

"Let us pray, sir, that G.o.d's Holy Spirit will bring it home to your heart," said Peter, as if the remark had been made to him. "G.o.d has said we shall not ask in vain."

The captain's eye brightened; a new hope, new thoughts and feelings, rose in his bosom.

Peter again turned to his book. He read many portions, the captain appearing in no way wearied.

He was so employed when a shout reached their ears, and Peter, going out of the tent, saw old Hixon making his way down the rocks. He brought his sou'-wester full of water.

"Praised be G.o.d, we have found a spring two miles off. There was nothing else to bring it in but this," he said, offering the water to the captain and Peter. "The rest of the men collected near it, but when I told them that they ought to come and help to carry you up the hill, captain, they said they were free now, and didn't acknowledge any man's authority."

"I should have thought, Hixon, from what I know of you, that you would have been among them," observed the captain.

"So I should, sir, a few weeks ago, but Peter there, out of his Bible, showed me what a sinner I was, and how I must love Jesus Christ and obey Him, and I know He would not have left any man to perish, and so, sir, as long as you live--and I hope we shall escape from this rock--I will not leave you."

"Thank you, Hixon," said the captain; "I am sure you speak the truth.

But what has become of Emery and Bill?"

"They said they would stop and have some food, and then come back and try and get you up to the spring, which is a warmer and pleasanter place than this."

In a short time the other men appeared, but the captain felt so much pain when they attempted to move him, that he begged them to let him remain where he was.

"I am afraid, sir, they will soon have eaten up all their provisions, and then they will be coming down to get what we have collected,"

observed Bill. "Perhaps, if you are among them, you might persuade them to put themselves on an allowance."

The captain sent a message by Hixon, but the men only laughed at him, and replied that a ship was sure soon to appear, and take them off, though they took no pains to make their situation known. The captain, however, told Hixon and the rest to form a flag-staff out of the spars which had been cast ash.o.r.e, and to erect it on the highest point with a piece of the cloth which they had found, as a flag. They did so.

Day after day pa.s.sed by, and though one or the other was constantly on the look-out, no distant sail met their anxious gaze.

Peter was thankful that the captain appeared to be slowly recovering his strength, though still unable to move. By husbanding their provisions, the little party on the sh.o.r.e hoped to support existence for some weeks to come.

When Hixon arrived one day with their usual supply of water, he brought word that the rest of the crew had deserted the spring and were nowhere to be seen. He thought probably that they had gone down to the sh.o.r.e to try and catch fish, or collect mussels, or anything that might have been thrown up. He and his companions were searching about for the same object, that they might eke out the diminishing store of their more nutritive food, and give the captain a larger supply. Peter, when not thus employed, read to the captain, as also to the other men, and Bill and the black were well pleased to listen, as were the captain and Hixon. Indeed, the light of G.o.d's blessed truth shone on the small shipwrecked party, and shed on them its warmth and healing influence.

It never occurred to young Peter to pride himself that the light shone from the lamp he carried within him.

The weather had again changed, and instead of a balmy breeze and sunshine, a fierce gale was blowing, and heavy showers came down upon their heads.

They were sitting beneath the shelter of their tent, while Peter was reading to them, when voices were heard, and several of the crew appeared. They looked wretched, and nearly starved.

"Hilloa!" cried one of them, seeing the cask of provisions near the entrance of the hut. "What, have you still got food? We thought that you must be as badly off as we are."

The rest came up, and though the captain, with his friends, expostulated, and promised to give the men a small portion, they took possession of more than half of the remaining provisions. With the supply of food they had thus obtained, they returned to their former camp near the spring. The captain was deeply grieved.

"It would have killed me with rage a short time ago, but I feel more sorry for them now; and I am afraid the food will only prolong their lives a day or two, while the want of it may shorten ours."

As was to be expected, in a couple of days they returned for more. Bill proposed fighting as he saw them coming, rather than give it up.

"It would only make matters worse," observed the captain, "as they would be sure to overpower us. We must trust that G.o.d will find some way for our escape."

The captain told Bill to give to each of them the same rations which they allowed for themselves, though it was not more than just sufficient to support life. Each day they came for their allowance, but still did not offer to a.s.sist in removing the captain. Hixon and the rest were very indignant.

The captain, however, quieted them, and insisted upon the provisions being equally shared amongst all the survivors from the shipwrecked crew.

At length, although their allowance had been still further reduced, no biscuits nor meat remained. A few herrings and some cabbages which had been washed up, and were wellnigh rotten, were the only articles of food they still had. Bill, however, came back with some birds' eggs and he thought that soon more might be obtained should the weather clear, and the birds visit the island in greater numbers.

Peter had, with the rest, taken his turn in watching by the flag-staff.

He was casting his eyes around when they fell on the sails of a vessel just rising above the horizon. He watched her eagerly--she was drawing near. He ran down the hill to give the joyful intelligence to his friends. They quickly returned with him, the captain telling them to leave him alone, as he felt quite well enough to remain by himself.

Each man carried a bundle of drift-wood, some dry gra.s.s, or branches from the numerous low bushes they found in sheltered spots, to a.s.sist in lighting a beacon, should the vessel not draw near till nightfall. A tinder-box had enabled the other party to obtain a light. Bill went for it. When he told them of the ship being seen, they would not believe him.

"Get up and have a look at her," he answered.

One of them did so. On being convinced, some showed their satisfaction by leaping about and shouting, others growled out that she would not come near the land, but none thought of praying that she might be directed towards them, or showed any grat.i.tude at the prospect of deliverance.

On came the ship, but as she neared the island the shades of evening concealed her from sight. The beacon was immediately lighted, but they had to remain all night in the uncertainty whether it had been seen.

How anxiously they waited for the return of morning, and how eagerly they cast their straining eyes in the direction she had last appeared as daylight broke on the world of waters. As the light increased, she was seen standing for the island. A shout rose from their throats, but they themselves were startled by the hollowness of the sound.

The wind had been increasing. As she drew near, it raged furiously, and a heavy surf beat everywhere on the sh.o.r.e. With sinking hearts, they saw the ship haul her wind, and again stand off the dangerous rock.

"We are deserted," cried several voices, and loud complaints were made of the stranger's indifference to their sufferings. They watched till she was lost to sight, and most of them declared she would not return.

"If he is a Christian man I am sure he will," said Peter, who had been sent up by the captain to ascertain how things stood. He returned with his report.

"Don't be down-hearted, sir; G.o.d, you know, will take care of us. And even if that ship sails away, He can send another," said Peter.

The flag was kept flying all day, and the beacon fire lighted again at night.

A few herrings and some almost rotten cabbages now alone remained; starvation threatened to overtake the shipwrecked mariners. Most of the crew gave way to despair. One or two had become almost delirious from hunger and talked of rushing into the sea and drowning themselves.

"If you do, mates, you will go into the presence of G.o.d Almighty with another great sin unrepented of on your heads, besides those you have already committed," said old Hixon. "Let us pray to G.o.d to help and deliver us; we have no other hope."

His words had great effect among his late shipmates; for some time they were far more orderly and quiet than they had been hitherto.

Another day pa.s.sed and the gale continued blowing furiously, and the stranger did not re-appear. Again they were on the look-out. At daybreak she was not to be seen; the wind, however, had abated. As the day drew on, Peter, who was on the look-out, caught sight of a small speck in the south-east; it grew larger and larger.

"The ship; the ship!" he shouted out. The cry was taken up by those scattered about on the rock, and pa.s.sed on from one to the other. They hurried away along the island in the direction she was seen. Peter waited till he was sure there could be no mistake, and then hastened down to the captain, feeling that the good news would cheer him up.