shape?"

"I'm not sure," answered the captain slowly, "that we are right in
saying that _He_ has left it to be so abused. I'm afraid that it is
_we_ who are to blame in the matter."

"How so?" exclaimed Will, in surprise.

"You believe the Bible to be the Word of God, don't you?" said Captain
Dall somewhat abruptly, "and that its tendency is to improve men?"

"Of _course_ I do; how can you ask such a question?"

"Did you ever," continued the captain pointedly, "hear of a text that
says something about going and teaching all nations, and have, you ever
given anything to send missionaries with the Bible to these islands?"

"I--I can't say I ever have," replied Will, with a smile and a slight
blush.

"No more have I, lad," said the captain, smiting his knee emphatically;
"the thought has only entered my head for the first time, but I _do_
think that it is _we_ who leave islands such as this to be abused by the
human devils you speak of, and who, moreover, are not a whit worse--nay,
not so bad--as many _civilised_ human devils, who, in times not long
past, and under the cloak of religion, have torn men and tender women
limb from limb, and bound them at the stake, and tortured them on the
rack, in order to make them swallow a false creed."

This was the commencement of one of the numerous discussions on
religion, philosophy, and politics, with which the echoes of that cavern
were frequently awakened after the somewhat fatiguing labours of each
day's chase were over, for a true Briton is the same everywhere. He is
a reasoning (if you will, an argumentative) animal, and our little band
of fugitives in those mountain fastnesses was no exception to the rule.

Meanwhile, two events occurred at the native village which require
notice. Their occurrence was not observed by our friends in hiding,
because the summit of the mountain completely shut out their view in
that direction, and they never wandered far from their place of retreat.

The first event was very sad, and is soon told. One morning a schooner
anchored off the village, and a party of armed seamen landed, the leader
of whom, through the medium of an interpreter, had an interview with the
chief. He wished to be permitted to cut sandal-wood, and an agreement
was entered into. After a considerable quantity had been cut and sent
on board, the chief wanted payment. This was refused on some trivial
ground. The savages remonstrated. The white men threatened,