That very day a boat was starting up the Missouri for the Northwest. The captain was hastily sought and interviewed. The fare was found to be one hundred dollars.
“I haven’t that much money,” was the missionary’s frank reply to the statement concerning the sum required.
“Well, I have no through passenger, so I’ll take you for seventy-five.”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t got it.”
“Well, what in the world are you going to Montana for?”
“Oh, to sing and pray, and to encourage people to be good.”
The captain eyed the would-be passenger wonderingly. “Well, I have been running this boat for a good many years, but I have never known of a person going to Montana for that purpose,” he exclaimed. “If you will sing and preach for us, I’ll take you for fifty dollars.”
The embarrassed young man was forced to admit that he did not have even five dollars; then he made a venture of faith.
“If you will take me to Fort Benton, you will find fifty dollars waiting for you here in care of Pastor Crozier when you return,” he said.
The good-natured captain agreed. When the boat came into Sioux City again many weeks later, he promptly received the fifty dollars. So much was he impressed by the incident, that he sent the greater part of the money to Montana for the missionary’s work—to help “encourage people to be good.” The debt was paid in a curious manner. A group of friends back in the oil region of Pennsylvania had been following the western journeyof the young missionary with deep interest but with no real knowledge of his exact circumstances. They realized, however, that some money would “come in handy,” and without previous notice or arrangement had forwarded to Pastor Crozier, at Sioux City, a sum which made it possible for him to keep the promise which the dauntless Van Orsdel had made to the captain.