"That is wonderful, too," continued Joshua. "He was with them for three months, and saw strange things and bad things, but never took part in them. They tried to force him to do as they did, but he wouldn't. And he made himself so useful to them, and worked so hard, that it wasn't to their interest to get rid of him."
"I think the Old Sailor must be a little bit of a hero, Jo," interrupted Dan.
Joshua laughed heartily at this. "You will not say so when you see him."
"Why? I suppose he is ugly."
Joshua raised his hand expressively.
"And weather-beaten, and all that"--
"And knows," said Joshua, still laughing, "'Which is Saturday, Sunday, Monday?'"
"Still he may be a hero--not like you, Jo, because you will be handsome."
"Do you think so?"
If by some strange chance a picture of Joshua, as he was to be one day, had presented itself to the lads, how they would have wondered and marvelled as to what could have been the youth of such a man as they saw before them! Look at Joshua now, as he is sitting by Dan's side. A handsome open-faced lad, full of kindly feeling, and with the reflex of a generous loving nature beaming in his eyes. Honest face, bright eyes, laughing mouth that could be serious, strong limbs, head covered with curls--a beautiful picture of happy boyhood. But no more surprising miracle could have occurred to Dan than to see Joshua, as he saw him then sitting by his side, and then to see the shadow of what was to come.