King, George the Fourth, and his advisers.  On the strength of this, a warrant was prepared for his arrest on the charge of sedition.  The spy had made a mistake in the first name and had given mine instead of my brother’s.  My cousin said, if I would disappear the prosecution would be baffled.  To save my brother, for a prosecution would ruin him, I fled at once, going to Troon, where I knew a ship was ready to sail for Canada.  On the officers going to my lodging to arrest me, they found I had gone.  How they came to know I had gone to Troon I cannot say.  Probably they sent word to all ports where ships were ready to sail.  As you know, I was arrested on board this boat and discharged, because the magistrate had no authority to hold me.  It was to save my brother that I am here.  What he said at the club I do not know, for I was not there.’

‘A plausible story,’ said Mr Snellgrove, ’but you told a lie when you answered to a false name before the Troon magistrate.’

‘I told no lie,’ answered Mr Kerr in a calm voice, ’for I was not asked to plead, but I knew I could have saved myself and have sent my brother to jail by correcting the mistake of the spy.’

Mr Snellgrove was about to say more when a murmur of disapproval caused him to slink to his berth.  My master came forward and taking Mr Kerr by the hand said, ‘I respected you before; I honor you now,’ and all, men and women, pressed to shake his hand.

After breakfast next morning there was much talk over our escape from death, and the more light thrown on it in discussion the stronger grew the feeling that we had been saved by the interposition of Providence.  Had the brig not struck the sandbank and done so at low tide, not a soul would have reached land, and relatives would never have known what became of the Heatherbell unless part of her wreckage was picked up.  There ought to be public acknowledgment of our rescue and expression of our united thanks.  The captain agreed it would be right, so, that afternoon, all hands assembled, except Mr Snellgrove, who sat at the bow pretending to read a book.  The impression made on me, by the sight of the sailors joining in the psalms and the children gathering round their mothers’ skirts in wonder, has survived these fifty-five years.  The master at the request of the captain, took charge.  He read the story of Paul’s shipwreck and then prayed with a fervor that made me cry.  To the surprise of all, he asked Mr Kerr to improve the occasion.  He began by saying it was not for mortals to judge the ways of God, to complain of visitations or to condemn acts that are inscrutable, but it was the bounden duty of man, when good did befall him, to ascribe the praise to God.  They had a marvellous escape from a cruel death, and without inquiring into the how or wherefore it was our part to acknowledge the hand that saved us.  After a good deal more in that strain of thought he changed to the purpose of our voyage.  We were