land in all the world, I think."

Her enthusiasm infected me to some degree, and bending forward to her, I
whispered,--

"Is there a church at Tarafofo, Lucia?"

A vivid blush dyed her sweet face from neck to brow.

"Yes," she answered, so softly that I could scarce hear her, "there has
always been a church there for a hundred years. It was once plundered
and burned by pirates, so one of the priests told me when I was a
child."

The breeze held good with us, and at four in the afternoon we ran in
under Cape Ritidian and brought to half a cable away from the shore,
which presented an aspect of the loveliest verdured hills and valleys
imaginable, fringed with a curving snow-white beach, along which were
scattered a few native houses, surrounded by plantations of bananas and
papaw trees.

Presently a boat came off manned by natives dressed in very bright
colours. They all spoke Spanish and at once offered to pilot us down to
Tarafofo Harbour, which, they said, we could enter at any time, day or
night; we accepted their services, and they came aboard, veered their
boat astern, and by nightfall we came to an anchor in a small, but safe
and exceedingly beautiful harbour.

Here more of the country people came on board, late as it was, and
pressed us to sleep on shore, telling us that there were some very
comfortable houses in the village, which was situated two miles up
the Tarafofo river. Then one of the visitors recognised Lucia, and now
invitations poured in upon us from all sides, and finally Lucia and
Niabon, accompanied by Tematau, went ashore with them, leaving Tepi and
myself on board.

"Good-night, Jim dear," said Lucia, as she was about to get into the
shore boat, "you will come on shore early, won't you? I don't like your
staying behind, but you and Tepi will perhaps get a good night's rest
now that three of us will be out of the way. I should never go to sleep
if I stayed on board to-night. I am so excited."

I stooped and kissed her little upturned face, and in another moment she
was in the boat, which at once pushed off into the darkness and made for
shore.

"Good-night, again," both she and Niabon cried, and Tematau also called
out _Tiakapo_!

"Good-night, good-night," I shouted, swaying our boat lantern in
farewell. "_Tiakapo, Tematau_. May you all sleep well."

They made some merry laughing response, in which they were joined by
their hosts, and then Tepi and I were alone.

We put on the cabi