this island awaiting the fulfilment of the pledge."

Jack bit his lip in suppressed anger. "Tell Tararo," he exclaimed with
flashing eye, "that if he does not grant my demand, it will be worse for
him. Say I have a big gun on board my schooner that will blow his
village into the sea, if he does not give up the girl."

"Nay, my friend," said the teacher, gently, "I will not tell him that; we
must overcome evil with good.'"

"What does my friend say?" inquired the chief, who seemed nettled by
Jack's looks of defiance.

"He is displeased," replied the teacher.

Tararo turned away with a smile of contempt, and walked towards the men
who carried the baskets of vegetables, and who had now emptied the whole
on the beach in an enormous pile.

"What are they doing there?" I inquired.

"I think that they are laying out a gift which they intend to present to
some one," said the teacher.

At this moment a couple of men appeared leading a young girl between
them; and, going towards the heap of fruits and vegetables, placed her on
the top of it. We started with surprise and fear, for in the young
female before us we recognised the Samoan girl, Avatea!

We stood rooted to the earth with surprise and thick coming fears.

"Oh! my dear young friend," whispered the teacher, in a voice of deep
emotion, while he seized Jack by the arm, "she is to be made a sacrifice
even now!"

"Is she?" cried Jack, with a vehement shout, spurning the teacher aside,
and dashing over two natives who stood in his way, while he rushed
towards the heap, sprang up its side, and seized Avatea by the arm. In
another moment he dragged her down, placed her back to a large tree, and,
wrenching a war-club from the hand of a native who seemed powerless and
petrified with surprise, whirled it above his head, and yelled, rather
than shouted, while his face blazed with fury, "Come on, the whole nation
of you, an ye like it, and do your worst!"

It seemed as though the challenge had been literally accepted; for every
savage on the ground ran precipitately at Jack with club and spear, and,
doubtless, would speedily have poured out his brave blood on the sod, had
not the teacher rushed in between them, and, raising his voice to its
utmost, cried.--

"Stay your hands, warriors! It is not your part to judge in this matter.
It is for Tararo, the chief, to say whether or not the young man shall
live or die."

The natives were arrested; and I know not wheth