h a
gold signet ring tied round its neck. Such an occurrence was not very
unusual, as the natives, like most savages, were in the habit of keeping
down the surplus population, by thus exposing their little ones. The
history of the island was full of legends of exposed children, picked up
by the charitable (there was, oddly enough, no prohibition against this),
and afterwards recognized and welcomed by their families. As any
Englishman would have done, I lifted the dear little thing in my arms,
and, a happy thought occurring to me, carried it off as a present to
Doto, who doted on babies, as all girls do. The gift proved to be the
most welcome that I had ever offered, though Doto, as usual, would not
accept it from my hands, but made me lay it down beside the hearth, which
they regarded as a sacred place. Even if an enemy reached the hearth of
his foe, he would, thenceforth, be quite safe in his house. Doto then
picked up the child, warmed and caressed it, sent for milk for its
entertainment, and was full of pleasure in her new pet.

She was a dear good girl, Doto, in spite of her heathen training. {74}

Strangely enough, as I thought at the time, she burst out weeping when I
took my leave of her, and seemed almost as if she had some secret to
impart to me. This, at least, showed an interest in me, and I walked to
my home with high presumptuous thoughts.

As I passed a certain group of rocks, in a lonely uncultivated district,
while the grey of evening was falling, I heard a low whistle. The place
had a bad reputation, being thought to be haunted. Perhaps I had
unconsciously imbibed some of the superstitions of the natives, for I
started in alarm.

Then I heard an unmistakably British voice cry, in a suppressed tone,
"Hi!"

The underwood rustled, and I beheld, to my astonishment, the form, the
crawling and abject form, of William Bludger!

Since the day of his landing we had never once met, William having been
sent off to a distant part of the island.

"Hi!" he said again, and when I exclaimed, naturally, "Hullo!" he put his
finger on his lips, and beckoned to me to join him. This I did, and
found that he was lurking in a cavern under the group of grey weather-
worn stones.

When I entered the cave, Bludger fell a-trembling so violently that he
could not speak. He seemed in the utmost alarm, his face quite ashen
with terror.

"What is the matter, William Bludger?" I asked; "have you had a Call, or