I shall never forget that service. As a religious affair it was a dead
failure, but somehow I think The Pilot, as Hi approvingly said, "got in
his funny work," and it was not wholly a defeat. The first hymn was sung
chiefly by the missionary and Mrs. Muir, whose voice was very high, with
one or two of the men softly whistling an accompaniment. The second hymn
was better, and then came the Lesson, the story of the feeding of the
five thousand. As the missionary finished the story, Bill, who had been
listening with great interest, said:

"I say, pard, I think I'll call you just now."

"I beg your pardon!" said the startled missionary.

"You're givin' us quite a song and dance now, ain't you?"

"I don't understand," was the puzzled reply.

"How many men was there in the crowd?" asked Bill, with a judicial air.

"Five thousand."

"And how much grub?"

"Five loaves and two fishes," answered Bruce for the missionary.

"Well," drawled Bill, with the air of a man who has reached a
conclusion, "that's a little too unusual for me. Why," looking pityingly
at the missionary, "it ain't natarel."