e patient was well. But never again was he quite free from the
dreaded disease, and all the rest of his life he was subject to the most
violent attacks of malaria, a terrible memento by which he was always to
remember his first visit to the headhunters.

CHAPTER VIII. CITIES CAPTURED AND FORTS BUILT

Up the river to Go-ko-khi! That was always a joy, and whenever Mackay
could take a day from his many duties, with A Hoa and one or more other
students, he would go up and visit old Thah-so and the kindly people of
this little village.

One day, after they had preached in the empty granary and the rain had
come in, Mr. Tan, the headman, walked up the village street with them,
and he made them an offer. They might have the plot of ground opposite
his house for a chapel-site. This was grand news. A chapel in north
Formosa! Mackay could hardly believe it, but it seemed that there really
was to be one. There were many Christians in Go-ko-khi now, and each
one was ready for work. Some collected stones, others prepared sun-dried
bricks, others dug the foundation, and the first church in north Formosa
was commenced.

Now Go-ko-khi was, unfortunately, near the great city of Bang-kah. This
was the most hostile and wicked place in all that country, and A Hoa
and Mackay had been stoned out of it on their visit there. The people in
Bang-kah learned of the new church building, and one day, when the brick
walls were about three feet high, there arose a tramp of feet, beating
of drums, and loud shouts, and up marched a detachment of soldiers sent
with orders from the prefect of Bang-kah to stop the building of the
chapel. Their officers went straight to the house of the headman with
his commands. Mr. Tan was six feet two and he rose to his full height
and towered above his visitor majestically. The "mayor" of Go-ko-khi was
a Christian now, and on the wall of his house was pasted a large sheet
of paper with the ten commandments printed on it. He pointed to this and
said: "I am determined to abide by these." The officer was taken aback.
He was scarcely prepared to defy the headman, and he went away to stir
up the villagers. But everywhere the soldiers met with opposition. There
seemed no one who would take their part. The officer knew he and his men
were scarcely within their rights in what they were doing; so,
fearing trouble, he marched back to the city, reporting there that the
black-bearded barbarian had bewitched the villager