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The boat was lowered, and Maud and I, with Mr Norton, Abela, and Tofa, were seated in her, accompanied by Captain and Mrs Hudson, on our way to the house of Mr Arnold, the missionary of which they had before spoken, and to whom, they had told us, they were well-known.
Jehovah has told us that He will not allow us to punish our enemies, but that we are to love them and do good to them. Oh! let me warn and entreat you not to go on the expedition you propose." The chief was silent for some time. Lisele and Abela, who had arrived, united with my father in entreating him to remain and hear more of the truth.
Of the heathen crew several appeared to be dying, if they were not already dead; but others, who had listened to the Word of Life, gathered round us that they might hear the instruction which Abela, as long as she had the power of speech, afforded them. Young Tofa bore up bravely, and Mr Norton struggled wonderfully with his sufferings.
Nanari, when he heard the account, was willing to go himself, but both Abela and Lisele entreated him not to make the attempt urging that the heathens were so enraged at him for having caused so many people to lotu, that they would be certain, should he venture among them, to put him to death.
Eijub Abela, "Beiträge zur Kenntniss abergläubischer Gebräuche in Syrien," Zeitschrift des deutschen Palaestina-Vereins, vii. p. 111. J. Chalmers, "Toaripi," Journal of the Anthropological Institute, xxvii. p. 328.
"Ah yes! my child," said Abela, "all is ordered for the best." Now we went on and on, now clambering over wild rocks, now proceeding along a narrow valley, now climbing its steep sides till we reached a height whence we could look back upon our settlement. "Hark!" said Lisele, "what cries are those?"
"Alas," she exclaimed, "we have escaped the fury of our enemies only, I fear, to perish in the waves." "Nay, nay, Abela," said Maud. "God, who has protected us heretofore, can protect us still. He will find a way for us to escape if it is His will that we should do so." "Ah, you are right," answered Abela, "and I am weak and faithless to doubt His love."
"Go not back to worship again the blocks of stone in which our countrymen put their trust. The English missionary will explain matters more clearly to you than I can." I assured Nasile for such the native told us was his name that my father would gladly explain the truth to him, and leaving him in conversation with Abela, we hastened homewards with the satisfactory intelligence.
Several were hurled at us, but happily no one was hit, and the next shower, which the vindictive savages darted from their hands, fell short of our canoe. Abela and every Christian with her knelt down on the deck and offered up an earnest prayer in which we joined that the hearts of our foes might be changed, and that they would ere long be brought to know the truth.
Abela guessed by our looks what was passing in our minds, and she added, "though the chief's heart is very hard, I have been praying that it may be changed, and I know that with Jehovah nothing is impossible." While we were still seated in the hut, a native arrived whom we knew, from his scanty dress and his wild savage look, to be still a heathen.
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