hat came from
the fallen trees.

"At dawn on the day of the feast, three hundred of Lirou's men, all
dressed very gaily, marched past Tokolme, carrying no arms, but bearing
baskets of food. They were going, they said, with presents to King Roka
to tell him that Lirou would hold faithfully to his promise of tribute.

"'But why,' asked the men of Yap, 'do ye go to-day--which is the day of
the feast?'

"'Because the heart of Lirou is glad, and he desires peace with all
men--even Roka. And whilst he and those of our people who remain feast
with ye men of Yap, and make merriment, we, the tribute messengers, go
unto Roka with words of goodwill.'

"Now these words were lies, for when the three hundred men had marched
a quarter of a league past Tokolme, they halted at a place in the forest
where they had arms concealed. Then they waited for a certain signal
from Lirou, who had said:--

"'When thou hearest the sound of a conch shell at the beginning of the
feast, march quickly back and form a circle around us and the people of
Yap, but let not one of ye be seen. Then when there comes a second blast
rush in, and see that no one escapes. Spare no one but the girl Lea.'

"When the sun was a little high Lirou and all his people--men, women and
children--came and made ready the feast On each of the squared logs was
spread out baked hogs, fowls, pigeons, turtle and fish, and all manner
of fruits in abundance, and then also there were placed in the centre of
the clearing twenty stone mortars for making kava.

"When all was ready, Lea and her people were bidden to come, and they
all came out of the fort, dressed very gaily and singing as is customary
for guests to do. And Lirou stepped out from among his people and took
Lea by the hand and seated her on a fine mat in the place of honour, and
as she sat with Lirou beside her, a man blew a loud, long blast upon a
conch shell and the feast began."

Rai's story had interested me keenly, but I was now guilty of a breach
of native etiquette--I had to interrupt him to ask how it was that the
man Kol and others who were friendly to the Yap people did not give them
a final warning of the intended massacre.

"Ah, I forgot to tell thee that Lirou was as cunning as he was cruel,
and ten days before the giving of the feast he had sent away Kol and
some others whom he knew to be well disposed to the people of Yap. He
sent them to the islands of Pakin--ten leagues from Ponape, and desired
t