ibbons. Now I want to do my path up the Vaituliga
single-handed, and I want it to burst on the public complete. Hence,
with devilish ingenuity, I begin it at different places; so that if you
stumble on one section, you may not even then suspect the fulness of my
labours. Accordingly, I started in a new place, below the wire, and
hoping to work up to it. It was perhaps lucky I had so bad a cutlass,
and my smarting hand bid me stay before I had got up to the wire, but
just in season, so that I was only the better of my activity, not dead
beat as yesterday.

A strange business it was, and infinitely solitary; away above, the sun
was in the high tree-tops; the lianas noosed and sought to hang me; the
saplings struggled, and came up with that sob of death that one gets to
know so well; great, soft, sappy trees fell at a lick of the cutlass,
little tough switches laughed at and dared my best endeavour. Soon,
toiling down in that pit of verdure, I heard blows on the far side, and
then laughter. I confess a chill settled on my heart. Being so dead
alone, in a place where by rights none should be beyond me, I was aware,
upon interrogation, if those blows had drawn nearer, I should (of course
quite unaffectedly) have executed a strategic movement to the rear; and
only the other day I was lamenting my insensibility to superstition! Am
I beginning to be sucked in? Shall I become a midnight twitterer like my
neighbours? At times I thought the blows were echoes; at times I thought
the laughter was from birds. For our birds are strangely human in their
calls. Vaea mountain about sundown sometimes rings with shrill cries,
like the hails of merry, scattered children. As a matter of fact, I
believe stealthy wood-cutters from Tanugamanono were above me in the
wood and answerable for the blows; as for the laughter, a woman and two
children had come and asked Fanny's leave to go up shrimp-fishing in the
burn; beyond doubt, it was these I heard. Just at the right time I
returned; to wash down, change, and begin this snatch of letter before
dinner was ready, and to finish it afterwards, before Henry has yet put
in an appearance for his lesson in "long explessions."

Dinner: stewed beef and potatoes, baked bananas, new loaf-bread hot from
the oven, pine-apple in claret. These are great days; we have been low
in the past; but now are we as belly-gods, enjoying all things.

_Wednesday_, (_Hist. Vailima resumed._)--A gorgeous evening of
after-g