aiian language has no "swear words," but it is
particularly rich in abusive and reviling epithets, and these were
freely heaped upon us. She ended her tirade by saying, "You shall not
pray us to death, you wicked, black-hearted foreigners!" and her
companions answered with a yell. Then, snatching up a lamp, they ran up
stairs to their sleeping-rooms, screaming and laughing and singing
native songs that had been forbidden in the school, and, taking their
shawls and Sunday dresses from their trunks, they arrayed themselves in
all their finery and began dancing an old heathen dance which is taboo
among the better class of natives and only practised in secret by the
more degraded class of natives and half-whites.

It sounded like Bedlam let loose. The little girls, frightened and
crying, and a half-white girl of seventeen, Miss G----'s adopted
daughter, remained with us. We put the younger children to bed in their
sleeping-room, which was on the first floor, and held a council
together. "One of us must cross the river and bring Pai-ku-li" (the
native minister), said Miss G----. "He is Elizabeth Aukai's
guardian--she is his wife's niece--and he can control her if anybody
can, and break the hold of this superstition on the girls' minds.
Nothing that we can say or do will do any good while they are in this
frenzy. Which of us shall go?"

The bridge was washed away; there was no boat; Miss P---- had taken the
only horse to go to Honolulu. Whoever went must ford the river. Like
Lord Ullin's daughter, who would meet the raging of the skies, but not
an angry father, I was less afraid to go than to stay, and volunteered
to bring Pai-ku-li.

"Li-li-noe shall go with you," said Miss G----: "she is a good swimmer,
and can find the best way through the river."

Just then the whole crowd of girls came screaming and laughing down the
stairs, swept through the sitting-room, mocking and insulting Miss
G----, then went back up the other flight of stairs, which led to the
teachers' rooms and was taboo to the school-girls. They were anxious to
break as many rules as possible.

With a lighted lantern hidden between us Li-li-noe and I stole down
through the flower-garden and across the lawn. We were anxious to keep
the girls in ignorance of our absence, lest they should attempt some
violence to Miss G---- while we were gone. Stealing quietly past the
grass huts of the natives, we approached the place where the bridge had
been, and brought