dship sprang up between Amyas and the girl, which
soon turned to good account. For she no sooner heard that he needed a
crew of Indians, than she consulted the Piache, assembled the tribe, and
having retired to her hut, commenced a song, which (unless the Piache
lied) was a command to furnish young men for Cary's expedition,
under penalty of the sovereign displeasure of an evil spirit with an
unpronounceable name--an argument which succeeded on the spot, and the
canoe departed on its perilous errand.

John Brimblecombe had great doubts whether a venture thus started by
direct help and patronage of the fiend would succeed; and Amyas himself,
disliking the humbug, told Ayacanora that it would be better to have
told the tribe that it was a good deed, and pleasing to the Good Spirit.

"Ah!" said she, naively enough, "they know better than that. The Good
Spirit is big and lazy; and he smiles, and takes no trouble: but the
little bad spirit, he is so busy--here, and there, and everywhere," and
she waved her pretty hands up and down; "he is the useful one to have
for a friend!" Which sentiment the Piache much approved, as became his
occupation; and once told Brimblecombe pretty sharply, that he was a
meddlesome fellow for telling the Indians that the Good Spirit cared for
them; "for," quoth he, "if they begin to ask the Good Spirit for what
they want, who will bring me cassava and coca for keeping the bad spirit
quiet?" This argument, however forcible the devil's priests in all ages
have felt it to be, did not stop Jack's preaching (and very good and
righteous preaching it was, moreover), and much less the morning and
evening service in the island camp. This last, the Indians, attracted
by the singing, attended in such numbers, that the Piache found his
occupation gone, and vowed to put an end to Jack's Gospel with a
poisoned arrow.

Which plan he (blinded by his master, Satan, so Jack phrased it) took
into his head to impart to Ayacanora, as the partner of his tithes and
offerings; and was exceedingly astonished to receive in answer a box on
the ear, and a storm of abuse. After which, Ayacanora went to Amyas,
and telling him all, proposed that the Piache should be thrown to the
alligators, and Jack installed in his place; declaring that whatsoever
the bearded men said must be true, and whosoever plotted against them
should die the death.

Jack, however, magnanimously forgave his foe, and preached on, of course
with fresh