till your beard
grows white. "Of course, by and by, you will be full Korong. I cannot
help you then; but, till that time comes, I would like to do my best by
you. You have been very kind to me. I tell you much. More than this,
it would not be lawful for me to mention."

And that was the most that, by dexterous questioning, Felix could ever
manage to get out of his mysterious Shadow.

"At the end of three days we will be safe, though?" he inquired at last,
after all other questions failed to produce an answer.

"Oh, yes, at the end of three days the storm will have blown over," the
young man answered, easily. "All will then be well. You may venture out
once more. The rain will have dried over all the island. Fire and Water
will have no more power over you."

Felix went back to the hut to inform Muriel of this new peril thus
suddenly sprung upon them. Poor Muriel, now almost worn out with endless
terrors, received it calmly. "I'm growing accustomed to it all, Felix,"
she answered, resignedly. "If only I know that you will keep your
promise, and never let me fall alive into these wretches' hands, I shall
feel quite safe. Oh, Felix, do you know when you took me in your arms
like that last night, in spite of everything, I felt positively happy."

About ten o'clock they were suddenly roused by a sound of many natives,
coming in quick succession, single file, to the huts, and shouting aloud,
"Oh, King of the Rain, oh, Queen of the Clouds, come forth for our vows!
Receive your presents!"

Felix went forth to the door to look. With a warning look in his eyes,
his Shadow followed him. The natives were now coming up by dozens at a
time, bringing with them, in great arm-loads, fallen cocoanuts and
breadfruits, and branches of bananas, and large draggled clusters of
half-ripe plantains.

"Why, what are all these?" Felix exclaimed in surprise.

His Shadow looked up at him, as if amused at the absurd simplicity of the
question. "These are yours, of course," he said; "yours and the Queen's;
they are the windfalls you made. Did you not knock them all off the trees
for yourselves when you were coming down in such sheets from the sky last
evening?"

Felix wrung his hands in positive despair. It was clear, indeed, that to
the minds of the natives there was no distinguishing personally between
himself and Muriel, and the rain or the cyclone.

"Will they bring them all in?" he asked, gazing in alarm at the huge pile
of fruits the