ts me to-night! Friends, lead me hence to die."

They turned to him, but before their hands touched him Thomas Owen fell
forward upon the breast of Hokosa and lay there a while. Then suddenly,
for the last time, he lifted himself and cried aloud:--

"I have fought a good fight! I have finished my course! I have kept the
faith! Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness . . .
and not to me only, but to all those who love His appearing."

Then his head fell back, his dark eyes closed, and the Messenger was
dead.

Hokosa, the man who had murdered him, having lifted him up to show him
to the people, amidst a sound of mighty weeping, took the body in his
arms and bore it thence to make it ready for burial.

CHAPTER XIX

THE FALL OF THE GREAT PLACE

On the morrow at sundown all that remained of Thomas Owen was laid to
rest before the altar of the little church, Nodwengo the king and Hokosa
lowering him into the grave, while John, his first disciple, read over
him the burial service of the Christians, which it had been one of the
dead man's last labours to translate into the language of the Amasuka.

Before the ceremony was finished, a soldier, carrying a spear in his
hand, pushed his way through the dense and weeping crowd, and having
saluted, whispered something into the ear of the king. Nodwengo started,
and, with a last look of farewell at the face of his friend, left the
chapel, accompanied by some of his generals who were present, muttering
to Hokosa that he was to follow when all was done. Accordingly, some
few minutes later, he went and was admitted into the Council Hut,
where captains and messengers were to be seen arriving and departing
continuously.

"Hokosa," said the king, "you have dealt treacherously with me in the
past, but I believe now that your heart is true; at the least I follow
the commands of our dead master and trust you. Listen: the outposts have
sighted an _impi_ of many regiments advancing towards the Great Place,
though whether or no it be my own _impi_ returning victorious from the
war with my brother, I cannot say. There is this against it, however,
that a messenger has but just arrived reporting that the generals have
perceived the host of Hafela encamped upon a ridge over against the
gorge where they awaited him. If that be so, they can scarcely have
given him battle, for the messenger is swift of foot and has travelled
night and day. Yet how can this be the _impi_