ut the two pieces of skull together, and at
last convinced them. Whereupon, in a flash, they found the not
unromantic explanation. This poor brave had succeeded in the height of a
Samoan warrior's ambition; he had taken a head, which he was never
destined to show to his applauding camp. Wounded himself, he had crept
here into the bush to die with his useless trophy by his side. His date
would be about fifteen years ago, in the great battle between Laupepa
and Talavou, which took place on My Land, Sir. To-morrow we shall bury
the bones and fire a salute in honour of unfortunate courage.

Do you think I have an empty life? or that a man jogging to his club has
so much to interest and amuse him?--touch and try him too, but that goes
along with the others: no pain, no pleasure, is the iron law. So here I
stop again, and leave, as I left yesterday, my political business
untouched. And lo! here comes my pupil, I believe, so I stop in time.

_March 2nd._--Since I last wrote, fifteen chapters of _David Balfour_
have been drafted, and five _tires au clair_. I think it pretty good;
there's a blooming maiden that costs anxiety--she is as virginal as
billy; but David seems there and alive, and the Lord Advocate is good,
and so I think is an episodic appearance of the Master of Lovat. In
Chapter XVII. I shall get David abroad--Alan went already in Chapter
XII. The book should be about the length of _Kidnapped_; this early part
of it, about D.'s evidence in the Appin case, is more of a story than
anything in _Kidnapped_, but there is no doubt there comes a break in
the middle, and the tale is practically in two divisions. In the first
James More and the M'Gregors, and Catriona, only show; in the second,
the Appin case being disposed of, and James Stewart hung, they rule the
roast and usurp the interest--should there be any left. Why did I take
up _David Balfour_? I don't know. A sudden passion.

Monday, I went down in the rain with a colic to take the chair at a
public meeting; dined with Haggard; sailed off to my meeting, and fought
with wild beasts for three anxious hours. All was lost that any sensible
man cared for, but the meeting did not break up--thanks a good deal to
R. L. S.--and the man who opposed my election, and with whom I was all
the time wrangling, proposed the vote of thanks to me with a certain
handsomeness; I assure you I had earned it.... Haggard and the great
Abdul, his high-caste Indian servant, imported by my