e," he said, without feeling the least surprise.
"Well, the climate is deloightful. Let us hope that the coky-nuts will
agree wid us, an' that the natives won't urge upon us the blissins av
martyrdom. Professor, what may be the spiritual condition av things
hereaway, do ye think?"

"A clear field--not a convert yet. Your predecessor, who went through
the office of being eaten a year ago, had not even learned the
language."

"The blissid saints watch over us! To hear the likes av that, whin I
expected to be a god, like, among these wretches! Well, it's our duty we
must do, Heller; we mustn't run away from our post; indade, we can't.
Moreover, I feel a sthrong confidence that the howly Catholic Church is
to be greatly glorified by me on these islands. What do ye say now to
meself exhibitin' the gift av miracles an' tongues? If I should
discoorse to these cannebals in their own contimptible language, would
it surprise ye, Heller?"

"No," smiled the professor. "I have seen greater marvels in my time. I
have seen men preach not merely words, but feelings and faiths, that
they were ignorant of."

Father Higgins, closely followed by Heller, now advanced to a green
hillock, a few rods from the shelly and pebbly beach, knelt down upon
the thin sward, and repeated a prayer. Meantime the population gathered;
behind them canoe after canoe touched the shore; before them there was
a swift, tumultuous hurrying from the villages; presently they were
surrounded by a compact, eager, barbaric multitude. The babble of its
wonder turned to silence as the priest rose, extended his fat hands, and
commenced a sermon.

Father Higgins was not a bit astonished at hearing himself pour forth a
torrent of words which he did not understand, nor at seeing in the faces
of his wild listeners that they perfectly comprehended his discourse. It
was merely a supernatural inspiration; it was but another exhibition of
the heavenly gifts of the Church; he was as much at his ease as if he
had been in the habit of working miracles from his cradle. At the close
of his harangue he took out his breviary, and translated a prayer into
the unknown tongue. Evidently the auditors understood this also, for
while some crouched to earth in undisguisable terror, others looked
upward as if expecting an answer from the sky.

Presently a savage, in a many-colored robe of feathers, stepped in front
of the multitude, and uttered a few sentences.

"It's a mighty quare pr