tre of Iala.

There on either side stood the houses in long rows stretching up the
river, and on the banks hundreds of men stood silent and as still as
trees. Their canoes lay half in and half out of the water ready for
instant launching. In each canoe stood its crew erect and waiting. All
the women and children had been sent away, for these men were out to
fight. They did not know whether this strange house upon the water
with the smoke coming from its chimney was the work of gods or devils.
Still they stood there to face the strange thing and, if need be, to
fight.

Brown Iko stood in the bows of the _Miro_; near him stood Tamate. Then
the engine stopped and the anchor was dropped overboard. The savages
stood motionless. Not a weapon could be seen. The engineer, hearing
the anchor-chain rattle through the hole, blew the steam-whistle in
simple high spirits. As the shriek of the whistle echoed under
the arches of the trees, with the swiftness of lightning the Ialan
warriors swung their long bows from behind their bodies. Without
stooping each caught up an arrow that stood between his toes and with
one movement fixed it and pulled the bamboo strings of their black
bows till the notch of the arrows touched their ears. A hundred arrows
were aimed at the hearts of Tamate and Mr. and Mrs. Abel.

Swiftly Iko stood upon the bulwark of the _Miro_, and shouted just one
word at the top of his voice. It was the Ialan word for "Peace." And
again he shouted it, and yet again "Peace, Peace!"

Then he cried out "Pouta!"[41] It was the name of the chief of these
savages. They had but to let the arrows from their bows and all would
have been over. There was silence. What order would Pouta give?

Then from the bank on their right came the sound of an answering
voice. In a flash every arrow was taken from its bow, and again not a
weapon was to be seen.

Iko then called out again to Pouta, and Tamate told Iko what he was to
say to his friend, the savage chief. For some minutes the conversation
went on. At last Iko came to the point of asking for a canoe to take
them ashore.

Chief Pouta hesitated. Then he gave his command, and a large canoe was
launched from the bank into the river and slowly paddled towards the
_Miro_.

As the canoe came towards them, Tamate turned to Mrs. Abel, who had
stood there without flinching with all the arrows pointed toward the
boat; and he spoke words like these: "Your bravery is our strength.
Seein