A little while later a miserable and dejected crowd arrived at the
mission-house, wrapped up in blankets or anything else that they had
managed to save.

"What do you want?" asked Thomas.

"Teacher," replied the Chief Kosa, with twitching face and rolling eyes,
"we want you to come down to the church and pray for us. Our houses are
gone, our fields are washed away. We want you to come to pray for us,
for more rain is gathering on the hills and we are afraid."

"You mean that you are cold and wish to take refuge in the church, of
which I have the key. You have sought rain and now you have got rain,
such rain as you deserve. Why do you complain? Go to your witch-doctor
and ask him to save you."

"Teacher, come down to the church and pray for us," they wailed.

In the end Thomas went, for his heart was moved to pity, and Dorcas and
Tabitha went with him.

They entered the church, wading to it through several inches of water,
and the service of intercession began, attended by every Christian
in the place--except a few who were drowned--a miserable and heartily
repentant crowd.

While it was still in progress suddenly there was a commotion, and
Menzi himself rushed into the church. It was the first time he had ever
entered there.

"Come forth!" he cried. "Come forth if you would save your lives. The
water has eaten away the ground underneath this Heaven-house. It falls!
I say it falls!"

Then he peered about him in the shadowed place till he found Tabitha.
Leaping at her, he threw his long thin arms round her and bore her from
the church. The others began to follow swiftly, and as Menzi passed the
door carrying Tabitha, there came a dreadful rending sound, and one of
the walls opened, letting in the light.

All fled forth, Thomas still in his surplice and his soul filled with
bitterness, for as he went it came into his mind that this must be a
farewell to that cherished church reared with so much love, cost and
labour.

Outside the building on a patch of higher land, an upthrown plateau of
rock, where presently all gathered beyond the reach of the waters, stood
Menzi and Tabitha. Thomas looked at him and said:

"Doubtless you think that your spells have worked well, Witch-doctor,
for see the ruin about us. Yet I hold otherwise, and say, 'Wait till the
end!' To set a rock rolling down a hill is easy for those who have the
strength. But who knows on whom it will fall at last?"

"You speak foolishly, Teac