astliness that fascinated me in my keen, somnolent state.

From the shadows where the women crouched the face of Teata rose
like an eerie flower. She had adorned the two long black plaits of
her hair with the brilliant phosphorescence of Ear of the Ghost Woman,
the strange fungus found on old trees, a favored evening adornment
of the island belles. The handsome flowers glowed about her bodiless
head like giant butterflies, congruous jewels for such a temptress
of such a frolic. The mysterious light added a gleam to her velvet
cheek and neck that made her seem like the ghost-woman of old legend,
created to lead the unwary to intoxicated death.

The palaver came to me out of the darkness, like voices from a
phonograph-horn, thin and far away. One told the tale of Tahiapepae,
the Girl Who Lost Her Strength.

Famine had come upon Atuona Valley. Children died of hunger on the
_paepaes_, and the breasts of mothers shrunk so that they gave
forth no milk. Therefore the warriors set forth in the great canoes
for Motopu. Meat was the cry, and there was no other meat than
_puaa oa_, the "long pig."

Then in the darkness the hungry fighting men of Atuona silently
beached their canoes and crept upon the sleeping village of Motopu.
Seven were killed before they could fly to the hills, and one was
captured alive, a slender, beautiful girl of ten years, whom they
tied hands and feet and threw into the canoe with the slain ones.

Back they came from their triumph, and landed on the shore here,
within spear's-throw from the _paepae_ of Broken Plate. Their people
met them with drum-beating and with chanting, bringing rose-wood
poles for carrying the meat. The living girl was slung over the
shoulder of the leader, still bound and weeping, and in single file
heroes and their people marched up the trail past the Catholic
mission. Tohoaa, Great Sea Slug, chief of Atuona and grandfather of
Flag, the gendarme, was foremost, and over his massive shoulder hung
the Girl Who Had Lost Her Strength.

Then from the mission came Pere Orens, crucifix in hand. Tall he
stood in his garment of black, facing the Great Sea Slug, and
lifting on high his hand with the crucifix in it. Pere Orens had
been made _tapu_ by Great Sea Slug, to whom he had explained the
wonders of the world, and given many presents. To touch him was death,
for Great Sea Slug had given him a feast and put upon him the white
_tapa_, emblem of sacredness.

Powerful was the god o