And Amer worked on quite unconscious of the remarks of people about him. What, however, he was conscious of, was that every now and then he caught a gleam of a river in the distance. At first it had somewhat startled him, but as day by day he seemed to be drawing nearer he would look at it earnestly. Was his time approaching to cross it?
He was very conscious now of a Presence by his side, and the companionship of this Presence kept him in peace and joy. But as the River drew near the enemy also approached to make one more effort to capture this brave soldier of the King. Doubt would remind him of some of the words he had listened to on the heath about the Guide Book, but finding that Amer no sooner became aware of his presence than he called upon the King for help and drew out his sword to do combat, he tried another plan. He would haunt his memory with sins he had committed in the City of Punon before he had begun his journey, sins which had been forgiven years ago, questioning him as to how he dared to hope for mercy, considering he had done things of which he was now so ashamed.
But Amer was able by this time to distinguish between the voices from the Radiant City and the voices of the enemy, and he clasped his breastplate the closer; besides which he noticed that the shadow of a Cross was always at hand, and when the enemy taunted him and tried to make him doubt his King's love and forgiveness, he flung himself beneath it, and when fighting under its shadow he always came off conqueror. At this time too he kept looking towards the Radiant City with the words:—
"'I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.'"
As he drew nearer the River he thought less about it and more of the City beyond it. At times he almost fancied he could hear the songs of triumph that he knew were being sung there in honour of his King; and many a time when utterly weary he lay down to sleep, he would dream of it, of its streets of gold, and gates of pearl, and above all of the King, Who was the Light thereof.
When Iddo, whose path had led her with Chisleu and the other singing pilgrims into the City of Despair, went up and down its streets singing of the King, Amer would look up and smile, adding his voice to hers. But when alone, the words most often on the lips of this good soldier, were those telling of his need and of the King's power to supply the need.
"My Saviour I have nought to plead
In Earth beneath or Heaven above;
But just my own exceeding need,
And Thine exceeding love."