and. This path is the march betwixt Miaki
and us. We have this day bought back the land of our fathers by a great
price to prevent war. Take of our breadfruits and also of our cocoanuts
what you require, for you are our friends and living on our land, and we
will protect you and the Worship!"

CHAPTER XXXV.
UNDER KNIFE AND TOMAHAWK.

CHAFED at the upsetting of all their plans and full of revenge, Nouka
and Miaki and their allies declared publicly that they were now going to
kill Ian by sorcery, _i. e._ by Nahak, more feared by the poor Tannese
than the field of battle. Strange to say. Ian became sick shortly after
the Sacred Men had made the declaration about their Nahak-sorcery. I
attended him, and for a time he recovered, and appeared very grateful.
But he soon fell sick again. I sent him and the Chief next under him a
blanket each; I also gave shirts and calico to a number of his leading
men. They wore them and seemed grateful and pleased. Ian, however,
gradually sank and got worse. He had every symptom of being poisoned, a
thing easily accomplished, as they know and use many deadly poisons. His
sufferings were very great, which prevented me from ascribing his
collapse to mere superstitious terror. I did all that could be done; but
all thought him dying, and of course by sorcery. His people were angry
at me for not consenting before to their shooting of Miaki; and Miaki's
people were now rejoicing that Ian was being killed by Nahak.

One night, his brother and a party came for me to go and see Ian, but I
declined to go till the morning for fear of the fever and ague. On
reaching his village, I saw many people about, and feared that I had
been led into a snare; but I at once entered into his house to talk and
pray with him, as he appeared to be dying. After prayer, I discovered
that I was left alone with him, and that all the people had retired from
the village; and I knew that, according to their custom, this meant
mischief. Ian said, "Come near me, and sit by my bedside to talk with
me, Missi."

I did so, and while speaking to him he lay as if lost in a swoon of
silent meditation. Suddenly he drew from the sugar-cane leaf thatch
close to his bed a large butcher-like knife, and instantly feeling the
edge of it with his other hand, he pointed it to within a few inches of
my heart and held it quivering there, all atremble with excitement. I
durst neither move nor speak, except that my heart kept praying to the