anoes upon this
lake."

So, thinking it wisest, I turned the matter with a laugh and walked
away with him to the village. On our road I tried to extract some more
information but without success. He did not know who built the ruin upon
the mountain, or who destroyed it. He did not know how the terraces
came there. All he knew was that during the convulsion of Nature which
resulted in the tidal wave that had thrown our ship upon the island,
the mountain had been seen to quiver like a tree in the wind as though
within it great forces were at work. Then it was observed to have risen
a good many more feet above the surface of the lake, as might be noted
by the water mark upon the shore, and then also the mouth of the cave
had appeared. The priests said that all this was because the Oromatuas
who dwelt there were stirring, which portended great things. Indeed
great things had happened--for had we not arrived in their land?

I thanked him for what he had told me, and, as there was nothing more
to be learned, dropped the subject which was never mentioned between us
again, at least not for a long while. But in my heart I determined that
I would reach that mountain even though to do so I must risk my life.
Something seemed to call me to the place; it was as though I were being
drawn by a magnet.

As it happened, before so very long I did go to the mountain, not of
my own will but because I was obliged. It came about thus. One night I
asked Bastin how he was getting on with his missionary work. He replied:
Very well indeed, but there was one great obstacle in his path, the idol
in the Grove. Were it not for this accursed image he believed that the
whole island would become Christian. I asked him to be more plain.
He explained that all his work was thwarted by this idol, since his
converts declared that they did not dare to be baptised while it sat
there in the Grove. If they did, the spirit that was in it would bewitch
them and perhaps steal out at night and murder them.

"The spirit being our friends the sorcerers," I suggested.

"That's it, Arbuthnot. Do you know, I believe those devilish men
sometimes offer human sacrifices to this satanic fetish, when there is a
drought or anything of that sort."

"I can quite believe it," I answered, "but as they will scarcely remove
their god and with it their own livelihood and authority, I am afraid
that as we don't want to be sacrificed, there is nothing to be done."

At this mom