tuette of very fine
and early workmanship, of the god Osiris, wearing the crown of the Upper
Land with the uraeus crest, and holding in his hands, which projected
from the mummy wrappings, the emblems of the crook, the scourge and the
crux ansata, or Sign of Life.

Bastin, for his part, arrayed himself in full clerical costume, black
coat and trousers, white tie and stick-up clergyman's collar which,
as he remarked, made him feel extremely hot in that climate, and were
unsuitable to domestic duties, such as washing-up. I offered to hold his
coat while he did this office and told him he looked very nice indeed.

"Beautiful!" remarked Bickley, "but why don't you put on your surplice
and biretta?" (Being very High-Church Bastin did wear a biretta on
festival Sundays at home.) "There would be no mistake about you then."

"I do not think it would be suitable," replied Bastin whose sense of
humour was undeveloped. "There is no service to be performed at present
and no church, though perhaps that cave--" and he stopped.

When we had finished these vain adornments and Bastin had put away the
things and tidied up, we sat down, rather at a loose end. We should have
liked to walk but refrained from doing so for fear lest we might dirty
our clean clothes. So we just sat and thought. At least Bickley thought,
and so did I for a while until I gave it up. What was the use of
thinking, seeing that we were face to face with circumstances which
baffled reason and beggared all recorded human experience? What Bastin
did I am sure I do not know, but I think from the expression of his
countenance that he was engaged in composing sermons for the benefit of
Oro and the Glittering Lady.

One diversion we did have. About eleven o'clock a canoe came from the
main island laden with provisions and paddled by Marama and two of his
people. We seized our weapons, remembering our experiences of the night,
but Marama waved a bough in token of peace. So, carrying our revolvers,
we went to the rock edge to meet him. He crept ashore and, chief though
he was, prostrated himself upon his face before us, which told me that
he had heard of the fate of the sorcerers. His apologies were abject. He
explained that he had no part in the outrage of the attack, and besought
us to intercede on behalf of him and his people with the awakened god of
the Mountain whom he looked for with a terrified air.

We consoled him as well as we could, and told him that he had b