when
the moonlight flickered among these chestnut leaves, and the night air
played on my throbbing brow, as I told all my heart to Jesus. Alone, yet
not alone! If it be to glorify my God, I will not grudge to spend many
nights alone in such a tree, to feel again my Saviour's spiritual
presence, to enjoy His consoling fellowship. If thus thrown back upon
your own soul, alone, all, all alone, in the midnight, in the bush, in
the very embrace of death itself, have you a Friend that will not fail
you then?

CHAPTER XXXVII.
FIVE HOURS IN A CANOE.

GLADLY would I have lingered there for one night of comparative peace!
But Nowar sent his son to call me down from the tree, and to guide me to
the shore where he himself was, as it was now time to take to sea in the
canoe. Pleading for my Lord's continuing presence, I had to obey. My
life and the lives of my Aneityumese now hung upon a very slender
thread; the risk was almost equally great from our friends so-called, or
from our enemies. Had I been a stranger to Jesus and to prayer, my
reason would verily have given way, but my comfort and joy sprang out of
these words, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; lo, I am with
you alway!" Pleading these promises, I followed my guide. We reached the
beach, just inside the Harbor, at a beautiful white sandy bay on Nowar's
ground, from which our canoe was to start. A good number of the Natives
had assembled there to see us off. Arkurat, having got a large roll of
calico for the loan of his canoe, hid it away, and then refused the
canoe, saying that if he had to escape with his family he would require
it. He demanded an ax, a sail for his canoe, and a pair of blankets. As
Koris had the ax and another had the quilt, I gave the quilt to him for
a sail, and the ax and blankets for the canoe, in fact, these few relics
of our earthly all at Nowar's were coveted by the savages and endangered
our lives, and it was as well to get rid of them altogether. He cruelly
proposed a small canoe for two; but I had hired the canoe for five, and
insisted upon getting it, as he had been well paid for it. As he only
laughed and mocked us, I prepared to start and travel overland to Mr.
Mathieson's Station. He then said, "My wrath is over! You may take it
and go."

We launched it, but now he refused to let us go till daylight. He had
always been one of my best friends, but now appeared bent on a quarrel,
so I had to exercise much patience with him a