An hour afterwards the Rev. gentleman came in with Chester, who had
walked across the island on discovering Tulpe's absence.

"No, thank you," he said to the missionary; "I won't stay now.... Some
other time I will do myself the pleasure of calling upon Mrs. Yowlman,
and yourself... You must excuse my wife having called upon you twice.
She is deeply imbued with the native customs and observances, and
I--er--sincerely trust she has given no offence."

Then took he Tulpe's hand and led her, wondering, back to his home. And
Tulpe thought he and the white woman were both fools.

IN THE KING'S SERVICE, SOME EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A BEACH-COMBER

I.

The white cloud mantle that had enwrapped the wooded summit of Lijibal
was slowly lifting and fading before the red arrow-rays of the tropic
sun--it was nearly dawn in Lela Harbour. A vast swarm of sooty terns,
with flapping wing and sharp, croaking note, slid out from the mountain
forest and fled seaward, and low down upon the land-locked depths of
Lela a soft mist still hovered, so that, were it not for the deadened
throbbing beat and lapping murmur of the flowing tide, one might have
thought, as he looked across from land to land, that the high green
walls of verdure in whose bosom the waters of Lela lay encompassed were
but the portals to some deep and shadowy mountain valley in a land of
utter silence, untenanted by man.

But as the blood-redness of the sun paled and paled, and then changed
into burnished gold, the topmost branches of the dew-laden trees
quivered and trembled, and then swayed softly to the sea-breeze; the
fleecy vapours that hid the waters of the harbour vanished, and the dark
bases of the mountains stood out in purest green. Away out seawards,
towards the hiss and boil of the tumbling surf, tiny strips of gleaming
sandy beach showed out in every nook and bay. And soon the yellow
sunlight flashed through the gloomy shadows of the forest, the sleeping
pigeons and the green and scarlet-hued parrakeets awoke to life amid the
sheltering boughs, and the soft, crooning note of one was answered back
by the sharp scream of the other. Along the mountain sides there was a
hurried rustling and trampling among the thick carpet of fallen leaves,
and a wild boar burst his way through the undergrowth to bury in his
lair till night came again; for almost with the first call of the birds
sounded the hum and murmur of voices, and the brown people of Lela
s