pressed forward with brandished clubs and
spears. Barton and I, placed ourselves by Rokoa's side, the former
handing me one of his pistols. All was tumult and confusion. The
outbreak had been so sudden and unexpected, and what I have just related
had passed so rapidly, that the bystanders had not yet recovered from
the first shock of astonishment and terror. Of the women, some shrieked
and fled from the spot, others threw themselves between us and the armed
natives, or invoked the interference of their brothers and friends for
our protection. Only a few, even of the men, seemed to participate in
the feeling of hostility against us.

"But however inferior in number, the party of our foes far surpassed
that of our friends in resolution and energy. Foremost among them were
the priest and the hard-featured chief, who had been so deeply incensed
by what he regarded as the wanton insults offered him by Barton. A
number of the young men also, whose anger and jealousy had been aroused
by his sudden popularity, and the attention which had been paid us,
sided zealously with the priest and his party, and joined in the clamour
against us.

"Meanwhile, Mowno, at Olla's entreaty, strove to calm the tumult, and to
pacify the leader and instigator of it; but his authority was fiercely
spurned, and our good-natured protector quailed before the fury of the
vindictive old man. As yet, however, our enemies, conscious that the
sympathies of a large number of the bystanders were with us, had offered
us no actual violence, confining themselves to menacing cries and
gestures, by which they seemed to be striving to work themselves up to
the requisite pitch of excitement. This was likely to be speedily
attained under the influence of the fierce exhortations and contagious
fury of the priest. Some of the young men, in fact, now commenced a
sort of covert attack, by throwing stones and fragments of wood at us
from the outskirts of the crowd, and Barton was struck violently in the
mouth by one of these missiles, by which his lip was badly cut. In the
midst of all the excitement and tumult, Rokoa stood, with the outward
appearance at least, of perfect composure. Neither the ravings of the
priest, nor the menacing attitude of `Catiline,' nor the brandished
weapons of their followers, deprived him of his coolness and presence of
mind. He steadily confronted them with an unblenching eye, grasping the
club of which he had possessed himsel