ghly. The training was in each case individual and
based on a clever study of the child's nature. If reading or writing or
arithmetic was unnecessary for the work which the child would ultimately
be called upon to do, then none of these things was taught. It might
almost be said that the children were spoiled. But they learned early
the immutable and inexorable nature of the laws imposed on their race.

Towards the close of this day Dream became once more sad and depressed.
Suddenly she rose and said that she was going back to her own people in
the town.

"But," I said, "you know that this means death."

"There is one thing worse than death which may happen to a woman. It is
useless for you to try to prevent me. If I cannot go to the town, then
to-morrow I shall eat the poison berries in the forest."

I had intended, if ever I could find the way, to take Dream back with me
to my own country and there to marry her. It seemed to me now that there
was no hope of this. I make no defence of what I said or did. I do not
know if under those circumstances any defence is needed. But I told
Dream that she need not seek the death-rod of her gods or the poison
berries of the forest, because the one thing which is worse than death
had not happened to her.

CHAPTER X

There followed sixteen days of such great and idyllic happiness that for
that alone it seems worth while to have lived my life. Dream lost her
terror of the sea and every morning swam out with me. Sometimes we would
catch trout in the forest pools, and these I would clean and cook in the
manner I had learned in the South Seas, on hot stones and ashes, getting
fire from the sun by means of the lens of my perspective-glass. But this
we could only hazard on days when the wind blew strongly, lest the smoke
of our fire should signal our whereabouts. I was not able to shake
Dream's belief in the creature that came out of the sea, but she seemed
no longer to have any fear of that or of anything.

"When death comes," she said, "it will come to both of us. Every day is
a gain. Yet, when one cannot possibly be happier, it is not hard to die.
One has drunk the wine of life."

I had it in my mind to attempt some further exploration of the caves. In
this I had been so far prevented by the fact that we had no means of
lighting ourselves. It was on the morning of the sixteenth day that I
found in the forest wood of a very resinous character which I guessed
would make