ed us with wonderful assistance. Yakin soon
learnt to wash and dress and clean everything, and Nelwang served me
like a faithful disciple. They clung by us like our very shadow, partly
through fear of attack, partly from affection; but as each of them could
handle freely both musket and tomahawk, which, though laid aside, were
never far away, it was not every enemy that cared to try issues with
Nelwang and his bride. After a few weeks had thus passed by, and as both
of them were really showing an interest in things pertaining to Jesus
and His Gospel, I urged them strongly to appear publicly at the Church
on Sabbath, to show that they were determined to stand their ground
together as true husband and wife, and that the others must accept the
position and become reconciled. Delay now could gain no purpose, and I
wished the strife and uncertainty to be put to an end.

Nelwang knew our customs. Every worshiper has to be seated, when our
Church bell ceases ringing. Aniwans would be ashamed to enter after the
Service had actually begun. As the bell ceased, Nelwang, knowing that he
would have a clear course, marched in, dressed in shirt and kilt, but
grasping very determinedly his tomahawk! He sat down as near to me as he
could conveniently get, trying hard to conceal his manifest agitation.
Silently smiling towards me, he then turned and looked eagerly at the
other door through which the women entered and left the Church, as if to
say, "Yakin is coming!" But his tomahawk was poised ominously on his
shoulder, and his courage gave him a defiant and almost impudent air. He
was evidently quite ready to sell his life at a high price, if any one
was prepared to risk the consequences.

In a few seconds Yakin entered; and if Nelwang's bearing and appearance
were rather inconsistent with the feeling of worship,--what on earth was
I to do when the figure and costume of Yakin began to reveal itself
marching in? The first visible difference betwixt a Heathen and a
Christian is,--that the Christian wears some clothing, the Heathen wears
none. Yakin had determined to show the extent of her Christianity by the
amount of clothing she could carry upon her person. Being a Chief's
widow before she became Nelwang's bride, she had some idea of state
occasions, and appeared dressed in every article of European apparel,
mostly portions of male attire, that she could beg or borrow from about
the premises! Her bridal gown was a man's drab-colored gre