eanwhile, all eyes were intently fixed upon the line of priests who,
presently, at a signal from him who seemed to be their chief, prostrated
themselves with their faces to the earth, and so remained.

For the space of some thirty seconds nothing happened. Then that vast
assemblage was suddenly electrified by a loud voice, issuing apparently
from the mouth of the idol, saying, in the Indian language:

"Inaguy, son of Mali, and servant of my son Toqui, speak to this people
and say that if they dare to hurt so much as a hair of the heads of the
white men, or of you and the others, those white men's servants, I will
visit them in my wrath and pour out upon them pestilence and famine,
drought and fire, until not one remains alive. For the white man with
black hair is a great medicine-man, capable of working wonders; he has
come into this land to do good to my people, and it is my will that no
harm shall come to him or his."

The incredible wonder of the thing, the marvel that their god, who had
never before been known to speak, should at this particular and solemn
moment see fit to break his long silence, absolutely paralysed the
thousands who heard the voice. They could do nothing but stare,
open-mouthed, at the gigantic figure, afraid almost to breathe, lest
something frightful should happen to them. There were many present who
comprehended the meaning of the words, although they were spoken in a
different tongue from that generally in use among them, and these began
to question themselves:

"Inaguy, son of Mali! Who is he? We know no priest of that name. Is
he one of us? Why does he not speak?"

Meanwhile Inaguy, who had once before witnessed such a phenomenon, was
not altogether surprised that a god should again intervene to save his
master; and turning his face to the idol, he cried:

"Lord, first bid them to release me. It is not meet that I, thy
servant, should deliver thy message, bound here to the torture stake."

"Nay, the man is right," murmured Jiravai, the king, who understood
Inaguy's speech, and who began to fear that he was like to get into very
serious trouble if he was not exceedingly careful. And, rising to his
feet, he looked toward Inaguy and demanded:

"Art thou Inaguy, son of Mali?"

"Lord, it is even so," answered Inaguy.

"Then, release him," ordered the king. Turning toward the idol and
prostrating himself, he continued:

"Great Anamac, god of the Mangeromas, forgive us, thy