his life must
have been exciting enough, even for him. His station was a small island
of civilisation, as one may say, in the middle of a sea of savages.
Before he had been there a month the place had been attacked twice. On
the first occasion Joe's 'flock' had crowded into the Mission House, and
commenced to pray, that having been the plan of defence adopted by his
predecessor. Joe cut the prayer short, and preached to them from the
text, 'Heaven helps them as helps themselves'; after which he proceeded
to deal out axes and old rifles. In his report he mentioned that he had
taken a hand himself, merely as an example to the flock; I bet he had
never enjoyed an evening more in all his life. The second fight began,
as usual, round the Mission, but seems to have ended two miles off. In
less than six months he had rebuilt the school-house, organised a police
force, converted all that was left of one tribe, and started a tin
church. He added (but I don't think they read that part of his report
aloud) that law and order was going to be respected, and life and
property secure in his district so long as he had a bullet left.

"Later on the Society sent him still further inland, to open up a fresh
station; and there it was that, according to the newspapers, the
cannibals got hold of him and ate him. As I said, personally I don't
believe it. One of these days he'll turn up, sound and whole; he is that
sort."

THE SURPRISE OF MR. MILBERRY.

"It's not the sort of thing to tell 'em," remarked Henry, as, with his
napkin over his arm, he leant against one of the pillars of the verandah,
and sipped the glass of Burgundy I had poured out for him; "and they
wouldn't believe it if you did tell 'em, not one of 'em. But it's the
truth, for all that. Without the clothes they couldn't do it."

"Who wouldn't believe what?" I asked. He had a curious habit, had Henry,
of commenting aloud upon his own unspoken thoughts, thereby bestowing
upon his conversation much of the quality of the double acrostic. We had
been discussing the question whether sardines served their purpose better
as a hors d'oeuvre or as a savoury; and I found myself wondering for the
moment why sardines, above all other fish, should be of an unbelieving
nature; while endeavouring to picture to myself the costume best adapted
to display the somewhat difficult figure of a sardine. Henry put down
his glass, and came to my rescue with the necessary explana