his magic is greater than our magic.
By his command the tempest was stayed, and the boasts we hurled fell
back upon our heads and the head of our god to destroy us."

"Yes," said the king, "victory is to the Cross, and henceforth the Cross
shall be worshipped in this land, or at least no other god shall be
worshipped. Let us be going. Come with me, Messenger, Lord of the
Lightning."

CHAPTER XI

THE WISDOM OF THE DEAD

On the morrow Owen baptised the king, many of his councillors, and
some twenty others whom he considered fit to receive the rite. Also he
despatched his first convert John, with other messengers, on a three
months' journey to the coast, giving them letters acquainting the bishop
and others with his marvellous success, and praying that missionaries
might be sent to assist him in his labours.

Now day by day the Church grew till it numbered hundreds of souls, and
thousands more hovered on its threshold. From dawn to dark Owen toiled,
preaching, exhorting, confessing, gathering in his harvest; and from
dark to midnight he pored over his translation of the Scriptures,
teaching Nodwengo and a few others how to read and write them. But
although his efforts were crowned with so signal and extraordinary a
triumph, he was well aware of the dangers that threatened the life of
the infant Church. Many accepted it indeed, and still more tolerated
it; but there remained multitudes who regarded the new religion with
suspicion and veiled hatred. Nor was this strange, seeing that the
hearts of men are not changed in an hour or their ancient customs easily
overset.

On one point, indeed, Owen had to give way. The Amasuka were a
polygamous people; all their law and traditions were interwoven with
polygamy, and to abolish that institution suddenly and with violence
would have brought their social fabric to the ground. Now, as he knew
well, the missionary Church declares in effect that no man can be both a
Christian and a polygamist; therefore among the followers of that custom
the missionary Church makes but little progress. Not without many qualms
and hesitations, Owen, having only the Scriptures to consult, came to a
compromise with his converts. If a man already married to more than one
wife wished to become a Christian, he permitted him to do so upon the
condition that he took no more wives; while a man unmarried at the time
of his conversion might take one wife only. This decree, liberal as it
was, caused gr