safety."

In a few minutes, however, he started up, he and his men, in wild
excitement. Over a mountain, behind the village and above it, there came
the shoutings, and anon the tramp, tramp of a multitude making rapidly
towards us. Faimungo got up and planted his back against a tree. I stood
beside him, and the Aneityumese woman and the two men stood near me,
while his men seemed prepared to flee. At full speed a large body of the
tallest and most powerful men that I had seen on Tanna came rushing on
and filled the dancing-ground. They were all armed, and flushed with
their success in war. A messenger had informed them of our escape,
probably from Miaki, and they had crossed the country to intercept us.

Faimungo was much afraid, and said, "Missi, go on in that path, you and
your Aneityumese; and I will follow when I have had a smoke and a talk
with these men."

I replied, "No, I will stand by your side till you go; and if I am
killed, it will be by your side, I will not leave you."

He implored us to go on, but that I knew would be certain death. They
began urging one another to kill us, but I looked round them as calmly
as possible, saying, "My Jehovah God will punish you here and hereafter,
if you kill me or any of His servants."

A killing-stone, thrown by one of the savages, grazed poor old Abraham's
cheek, and the dear soul gave such a look at me, and then upwards, as if
to say, "Missi, I was nearly away to Jesus." A club was also raised to
follow the blow of the killing-stone, but God baffled the aim. They
encircled us in a deadly ring, and one kept urging another to strike the
first blow, or fire the first shot. My heart rose up to the Lord Jesus;
I saw Him watching all the scene. In that awful hour I beheld His own
words, as if carved in letters of fire upon the clouds of Heaven: "Seek,
and ye shall find. Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son." I could understand how
Stephen and John saw the glorified Saviour as they gazed up through
suffering and persecution to the Heavenly Throne!

Yet I never could say that on such occasions I was entirely without
fear. Nay, I have felt my reason reeling, my sight coming and going, and
my knees smiting together when thus brought close to a violent death,
but mostly under the solemn thought of being ushered into Eternity and
appearing before God. Still, I was never left without hearing that
promise in all its co