as reciprocated, and the King dined with the
strangers. Here it was strongly suspected that the dish of honor
placed before the King was human flesh, served under the guise of pork.

The King found the dish very much to his liking, and intimated to
the Lo Aikanaka chief that his _aipuu-puu_ (chief cook or steward)
understood the preparation and cooking of pork better than the royal
cook did.

The Lo Aikanaka took the hint, and the young King became a very
frequent guest at the Southerner's board--or rather, mat table. Some
excuse or other would be given to invite the royal guest, such as a
challenge to the King to a game of _konane_ (a game like checkers); or
a contest of skill in the different athletic and warlike sports would
be arranged, and Oahunui would be asked to be the judge, or simply
invited to view them. As a matter of course, it would be expected
that the King would remain after the sports and partake of food when
on friendly visits of this nature. Thus with one excuse or another
he spent a great deal of his time with his new subjects and friends.

To supply the particular dainty craved by the royal visitor, the Lo
Aikanaka had to send out warriors to the passes leading to Waianae
from Lihue and Kalena, and also to the lonely pathway leading up to
Kalakini, on the Waimea side, there to lie in ambush for any lone
traveller, or belated person after la-i, aaho, or ferns. Such a one
would fall an easy prey to the Lo Aikanaka stalwarts, skilful in the
art of the _lua_ (to kill by breaking the bones).

This went on for some time, until the unaccountable disappearance of
so many people began to be connected with the frequent entertainments
by the southern chief. Oahunui's subjects began to hint that their
young King had acquired the taste for human flesh at these feasts,
and that it was to gratify his unnatural appetite for the horrid dish
that he paid his frequent visits to those who were his inferiors,
contrary to all royal precedent.

The people's disapproval of the intimacy of Oahunui with his new
friends was expressed more and more openly, and the murmurs of
discontent grew loud and deep. His chiefs and high priest became
alarmed, and begged him to discontinue his visits, or they would not
be answerable for the consequences. The King was thereby forced to
heed their admonitions and promised to keep away from Lo's, and did
so for quite a while.

Now, all the male members of the royal family ate their mea