A Modern Telemachus

the reckless

would not hear

d the glorio

too blue for

ll which Freedo

hain before it

(The C

was likely to have some little time for deliberation on the question p

he little black boy had been taken on speculation-and so indeed had the big Abyssinian, who, though dumb, was the most useful, ready, and alert of his five slaves. Every bargain seemed to occupy at least an hour, and perhaps Yusuf lingered the longer in order to give Arthur more time for consideration; or it might be that his native tongue, once heard, exercised an irresistible fascination over him. He never failed to have what he called a 'crack' with his young countryman at the hour of the siesta, or at night, perhaps persuading the sheyk that it was controversial, though it was more apt to be on circumstances of the day's trade or the news of the

ength and vigour unknown to him in a Parisian salon, and he was in the highest spirits among his brown playfellows, ceasing to pine for his mother and sister; and though he still came to Arthur for the night, or in any trouble, it was more and more difficult to get him to submit to be washed and dressed in his tight

did not soften it. The sheyk would sell him, and he would either be made to work in some mountain-farm, or put on board a galley; and Yusuf had sufficient

heart to think of her son giving

to be bred as a Janissary. 'He will come that gate to be as great a man as in his ain countree,' said

her he were lying dead with her under the

's for his gude, nor for your

is not good

ere,' muttered Yusuf; 'ye'll

dition to Algiers, we shall-at least the boy-be as

ssaries that gang hectoring aboot as though the world were not gude enough for them, and if I h

ask you to put yourself in no danger, only to be

Knights of Malta should make quick work wi' ye. Or look at the dumbie there, Fareek. A Christian, he ca's himsel', too, though 'tis of a by ordinar' fashion, such as Deacon Shortcoats would scarce own. I coft him dog cheap at Tunis, when hi

t forsake my God. I must tr

angrily muttering, 'He that

ut, as the long days rolled on, if the future of toil and dreary misery developed itself before him, the sense of personal love and aid towards the Lord and Master whom he served grew upon him. Neither the gazelle-eyed Ayesha nor the prosperous village life presented any great temptation. He wo

m law, he might retain his own belief and trust in the Lord he seemed so mu

He will deny m

ive ane as is hard p

ht, as I should be doing,' said Arthur, 'and what i

gane where they girned at me for Partan Jeannie's wean, and gied me mair o' the tawse than of the hornbook. Gin the Lord, as ye ca' Him, had ever seemed to me what ye say He is to you, Maister Arthur, I micht hae thocht twice o'

at El Arnieh, and Arthur, having by this time picked up enough of the language to make himself comprehensible, and to know fully what was set before him, was called upon to make his d

le grace and dignity, set the choice before the Son of the Sea in most affectionate terms, asking of him to

oint him, and sorry not to have sufficient knowledge of the language to qualify more graciously the resolute reply he had so often re

f an unbeliever, and rece

,' said

ill that his heart is blind. Once again, young man,

deny my Lo

rowing a handful of dust at him. The crowd who watched around were not slow to follow the example, and Arthur thought he was actually being stoned; but the missiles were for the most part not harmful, only disgusting, blinding, and confusing. There was a tremendous hubbub of vituperation, and he was at last actually stunned by

ld ass-dog of a slave,' bade him stand up and show his height, at the same time cutting the cords that bound him. It was an additional pang that it was to Yusuf that he was thus to exhibit himself, no doubt in order that the merchant should ca

hours. Finally Yusuf looked into the hut, and roughly said in Arabic, 'Come over to me, dog; thou art mine. K

iliating towards almost anybody else, but Arthur endure

e in sic a case, but it canna be helpit. I culd na leave behin

s pride much softened by the merchant's evident sense o

gher preferment than even you or I. Why, mon, an Ag

elieve you must have paid heav

, and twa pair of silver-mounted pistols. The extortionate rogu

rthur; 'but it would be tenfold bette

ountryman of mine-one side French and

' waged Arthur. 'They will re

h for ye, Maister Arthur-giving half my beasties, and more than

I am a man, and can guard myself, by the grace of God; but to leave the poor child here would be letting these men work their will on him ere any ransom could c

ur banes, or you have died under the lash, chai

tray the dead woma

two of the hangers-on of the sheyk's household, and the first comer seized him by the arm; but he clung to Arthur, screamed and kicked, and the old nurse who had come

ded Yusuf; 'his time w

h made them ready to defer the storm, and acquiesce in the poor little fellow remaining for

then looked about in terror, and required to be

alone? They are all gone-Mamma, and Estelle, and la bonne

nie,' said Arthur, tears in his eyes for t

aughty Ben Kader said they had sold you for a slave, and you were going a

, it is too

a passion of tears. 'You shall not be a slave. My

e chest even after he fell asleep in the arms of his unaccustomed nurse, who found himself thus baffled in using this last and only opportunity of trying to strengthen the child's faith, and was also hindered fr

e of slavery and helplessness, and utter uncertainty as to his fate, expecting, in fact, that Yusuf meant to keep him as a sort of tame animal to talk Scotch; but hoping to work on him in time to favour an escape, and at any rate to