r for his reception. When Malone took to dancing, the chief
condescended to smile, or grin, hideously. When he retreated out of
range the chief consoled himself with the reflection that it was just as
well, night being the best time for attack. When, however, he beheld a
band of men moving towards him armed with the terrible things that
"spouted smoke, fire, and stones," a change came over the spirit of his
dream. After a hasty consultation with his comrades, he glided off in
the direction of their canoe. The rest followed, and when our settlers
at last turned the point, they saw the foe paddling at full speed across
the lagoon.

Firing a volley of disappointment after them, both in words and bullets,
they ran to their boats and gave chase, but, as on the former occasion,
the canoe proved too swift for the boats under oars, and the savages got
away.

The anxiety that naturally filled the breasts of Queen Pauline and her
councillors at this event was speedily forgotten in a recurrence of the
earthquake which had previously alarmed them so much.

It happened on a calm, bright morning, when the widow Lynch chanced to
be washing garments in the palace beside the queen. You see they had
not much regard for state-ceremonial or etiquette at the court of
Pauline the First even in public, much less in private, so that, while
the widow was deep in the washtub at one end of the hall, the queen was
busy at the other end patching Otto's garments.

At first there occurred a slight trembling of the earth, which the
widow, attributing to giddiness in her own cranium, recognised with a
remonstrative "Ohone!"

"Did you feel _that_?" exclaimed Pauline, pausing in her work and
looking up with a slight feeling of alarm.

"_What_, dearie?" demanded the widow, clearing the soap-suds from her
red roly-poly arms.

Before Pauline could answer, the earthquake took the liberty of reply by
giving an abrupt shake to the whole island, which not only set chairs
and tables rocking in an alarming manner, but drove the entire
population from their houses in consternation. Among other effects it
caused Mrs Lynch to stagger and catch hold of the washtub, which, far
from supporting her, let her fall to the ground, and fell on the top of
her.

To most of the settlers the sensation of a trembling earth was quite new
and exceedingly alarming. They stopped abruptly after the first rush,
and then looked about with pale faces, not knowing what t