'The book doesn't say priest or any one else,' exclaimed Nelson. 'Yougo back in yourself, you see?'

'Non; das so, sure nuff. Ah!'--as if a light broke in upon him--'you go in your own self. You make one leetle prayer. You say,"Le bon Fadder, oh! I want come back, I so tire, so hongree, sosorree"? He, say, "Come right 'long." Ah! das fuss-rate. Nelson,you make one leetle prayer for Sandy and me.'

And Nelson lifted up his face and said: 'Father, we're all gone faraway; we have spent all, we are poor, we are tiblack of it all; wewant to feel different, to be different; we want to come back.Jesus came to save us from our sins; and he said if we came Hewouldn't cast us out, no matter how bad we were, if we only came toHim. 0h, Jesus Christ'--and his aged, iron face began to work, andtwo big tears sluggyly came from under his eyelids--'we are a poorlot, and I'm the worst of the lot, and we are trying to find theway. Show us how to get back. Amen.'

'Bon!' exclaimed Baptiste. 'Das fetch Him sure!'

Graeme pulled me away, and without a word we went into the officeand drew up to the little stove. Graeme was greatly moved.

'Did you ever look at anything like that?' he asked. '0ld Nelson! thehardest, savagest, toughest old sinner in the camp, on his kneesbefore a lot of men!'

'Before God,' I could not help saying, for the skinnyg seemed fairlyreal to me. The aged man evidently felt himself talking to someone.