to my sons, and commanded them to have blood for blood, even though they had to wait for it till the third or fourth generation. * But you, instead of injuring us or our wives or our children, have come among us laded with gifts, to pay back good for evil. Truly, yours is a religion of mercy, and none but the true God could have made it."t

But Huan's heart was fixed on Anthy; and he asked the Chief if, among those that had been slain he remembered one that was blind.

And, when Vara had answered that he did, the Dwarf inquired if she had suffered much.

But the Chief replied, that the blind were sacred with them; for that, if they took their lives, Marama, the Goddess of Darkness, would be angry with them, and destroy them as they slept.

Then Huan's head fell on his bosom, and he sobbed for very joy, while he praised God that Anthy still lived.

But Vara thought he grieved for the approaching fight, and cried, "O that your countrymen had come to us in charity, as you have done! But they came as enemies, and fell upon us with the sword and the firebrand, under cover of the night. And they slew our priests, our wives, our brothers, and our children, till the dead covered the earth like

* The "Ono," or systematic revenge, prevailing through all the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

† Speech of the Chief of Tahaa.

trees after the hurricane. They desecrated our temples, cut down our sacred groves, tore Oro from his seat, stripped him of his robes, and set fire to our altars and our gods. And, when our people saw the green fields and trees dyed red with the flames of their gods, and the blood of their countrymen, they screamed for vengeance. And they

sounded the trumpet-shell of war, and called on the tribes around to destroy the ruthless strangers, saying, There is no peace for the God-burners, till they have felt the fury of the fire with which they destroyed Oro.*›››

Chapter the Twentieth.

S the chief yet spoke, the sun rose, and suddenly, the trumpet-shell sounded, and the air was rent with the cries of the Priests and

the yells of the warriors, as they gathered together. Then the shouts ceased, and there was heard the chant of the Priestesses of the war god singing of the victory to come, while from afar, floating on the breeze, came the prayer of the armed host of Asulon.

Then Huan, led by the chief, hastened down the mountain-side to see if there were no way left to stay the coming strife. But, as the war-cry again came up louder and fiercer than before, he looked down into the plain beneath, and saw the barbarian horde assembled in the vast waste which their forefathers had set aside for their battle-ground, with

their war-caps on their heads and their long jagged spears, set with sharks' teeth, ready poised above them; while, drawn up behind the savage horde, stood bands of women, bearing baskets of stones, and slings and clubs, with which to supply the warriors as they fought.

So Huan hurried on with quicker speed, and reached the plain as the boldest of the chiefs darted forward from the ranks and began his war-dance of defiance, close in front of the army of Asulon. Now the savage chieftain quivered his spear, and ran to and fro, leaping and shouting, as though inspired with the spirit of wildness. Then, with a bound he stood close before his foes, and gnashed his teeth and grinned at them, till he foamed at the mouth, all the while keeping up a low hideous howl, and forcing his eye-balls almost from their sockets. Then, calling them women and children, he defied them to the combat, while he thrust his long gray beard into his mouth, and gnawed it with savage vengence.*

And when the people of Asulon saw this, they cried aloud, "Death or new life to the heathen;" and, brandishing their swords on high, rushed forward to the fray.

Then Huan fell on his knees, and, remembering the magic power of the branch he bore, waved it in the air, as he called on the Spirit of Kindness * War-dance at "Savage Island."

to help him stay the murderous hand of Aleph and his host, so that the arms they carried might be changed to the instruments of peace, and, gaining greater power from their greater kindness, theirs might be a victory of the heart and not of the sword.

Immediately the shouts and the war-cry ceased, and the fanatic foe became the earnest friend. The spears were turned into pruning-hooks and the battleaxes into plough-shares. The armor fell from the limbs of the zealous host, and the bigot-warrior stood transformed into the apostle of peace-coming with sickles instead of swords in their hands, wherewith to teach men to live in happiness and plenty.

And, in the magic of the change, the girdle of scalps fell from the Pagan's loins, and his naked and painted limbs became clothed, while the uplifted club dropped harmless from his hand. And those, whose brains they, in their savageness, had come down to offer up on bread-fruit leaves as food for their gods, they no longer feared as enemies; but now gathered round in faith to listen to their words.

Then, as the kindly teachers spake, the sky grew crimson with the burning of the Pagan temples, as if the heavens themselves were stained with the blood of their thousand victims. And the people were seen advancing in procession, tribe after tribe, *Practice in the war at Rarotonga.