the natives, and, as they
were anxious to learn English, they took pains to teach him their own
tongue in return for the instruction he gave them, and he and they were
thus able to understand each other on ordinary subjects.

Rumours that the heathens were meditating an attack again reached the
station. A large body of savages had been seen on the hills a short
distance off flourishing their weapons, and making fierce and
threatening gestures. Perhaps they had been deterred from their purpose
by the arrival of the boat, and, believing that all white men were
possessed of firearms, been unwilling to encounter them. As, however,
heathens were constantly coming to the village and going away again,
some of them would probably report that they had seen no muskets, and
that the number of white men was very small.

One evening, after prayers had been offered up in the missionary's
house, and old Tom and his companions had returned to their hut, just as
Harry and Bass were about to go to bed, a knocking was heard at the
door, Harry opened it, when a native appeared, and, in an agitated
voice, told them that a friend who still lived among the heathens had
just stolen into the village with the intelligence that a large band of
savages, led on by one of their priests, was approaching at a rapid
rate, having vowed to destroy all the Christians before the morning.

Harry at once told Mrs Hart, who was at first inclined to believe that
it was only another false report, such as had often before reached them.
The native, however, was positive that his friend was not mistaken, and
declared that if their dear missionary and his wife would not fly, he
and the other converts would carry them off by force to the mountains.
Harry proposed that scouts should be sent out to ascertain the fact, and
entreated Mr and Mrs Hart to embark at once, and to wait in the boat
till the return of the scouts. In the meantime he sent Bass to summon
Tom and his companions. Several of the converts were ready to act as
scouts, though they declared that there was no doubt of the truth of the
report, and that it would be wiser to escape at once to the mountains.

The whole population now gathered round the mission-house, and urged Mr
and Mrs Hart to go on board the boat, which had been sent, they
asserted, on purpose to preserve their lives. The missionary and his
wife at length agreed to act as they were advised, though still loth to
leave the converts