lmost amounting to triumph, filled his heart as he stood there
listening. While he listened he observed several indistinct forms glide
past him and enter the cave. He crept after them.

A strange sight met his eyes. The cave was so large and high that the
single torch which burned in it merely lighted up a portion of the wall
against which it was fixed. Even in the immediate neighbourhood of the
torch things were more or less indistinct, while all else was shrouded
in darkness profound. Here more than a hundred dusky figures were
assembled--those furthest from the light melting, as it were, into the
darkness, and leaving the imagination to people illimitable space with
similar beings.

Soa slipped in, and sat down on a jutting rock near the entrance just as
the hymn was closing. Few people observed him. Immediately after, an
old man who sat nearest the light rose to pray. Beside him stood our
friend Ravonino. On the other side sat a young man with a remarkably
intelligent countenance.

With intense earnestness and great simplicity the old man prayed, in the
name of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit might bless their meeting and
deliver them from the power of their enemies. He also prayed with much
emphasis that their enemies might be turned into Christian friends--at
which petition a loud "Amen" arose from the worshippers.

"Now Totosy will speak," said the old man, after a brief pause, turning
to the young man with the intelligent countenance. "Let the Word be
brought forth."

"Stop!" cried a man, rising in the midst of the crowd, "it may not be
safe to bring out the Word just now."

"Why not, my son?" asked the old man. "Are not all here to-night our
friends?"

"I think not," returned the man. "As I came along I saw one of the
Queen's spies, who is well-known to me. He was walking with the nephew
of our deadly foe Rainiharo, and Soa himself sits _there_!"

He turned as he spoke, and pointed straight at Soa, who rose at once and
advanced to the front.

"My friends," he said, in a gentle voice, "the last speaker is right. I
am here, and I was led here by one of the Queen's spies. But the spy is
not here. He awaits me outside. Let two of your young men guard the
entrance of the cave so that our conference may not be overheard."

Two stalwart youths rose at once and hurried to the outside of this
primitive meeting-house, where they mounted guard.

"I have been sent," continued Soa, "by my uncle, w