waste yourselves with those foolish tricks of fire and water? They only make you forget Jehovah—you fools—you poor, blind fools—to palter so!” 

 He raised his voice, and the wondering group about him grew large. 

 “Down, down on your knees and pray—pray—pray! I tell you the Lord shall not suffer you to perish!” 

 Then, as but one or two obeyed him— 

 “So your hearts have been hardened? Then my own prayer shall save you!” 

 Down he knelt in the midst of the group, while they instinctively drew back from him on all sides. But as his voice rose, a voice that had never failed to move them, they, too, began to kneel, at first those near him, then others back of them, until a hundred knelt about him. 

 He had not observed them, but with eyes closed he prayed on, pouring out his heart in penitent supplication. 

 “These people are but little children, after all, seeing not, groping blindly, attempting weakly, blundering always, yet never faltering in love for Thee. Now I, Thy servant, humble and lowly, from whom Thou hast already taken in hardest ways all that his heart held dear, who will to-day give his body to be crucified, if need be, for this people—I implore Thee to save these blundering children now, in this very moment. I ask nothing for myself but that—” 

 As his words rang out, there had been quick, low, startled murmurs from the kneeling group about him; and now loud shouts interrupted his prayer. He opened his eyes. From off toward the lake great flocks of gulls had appeared, whitening the sky, and now dulling all other sounds with the beating of their wings and their high, plaintive cries. Quickly they settled upon the fields in swirling drifts, so that the land all about lay white as with snow. 

 A groan went up,—“They will finish what the crickets have left.” 

 He had risen to his feet, looking intently. Then he gave an exultant shout. 

 “No! No!—they are eating only the crickets!—the white birds are devouring the black pests; the hosts of heaven and hell have met, and the powers of light have triumphed once more over darkness! Pray—pray now with all your hearts in thanksgiving for this mercy!” 

 And again they knelt, many with streaming eyes, 

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