thirst would
have slaked!"

I lay fainting against the hard-throbbing heart of Samoa, while they
showered their yells through the air. Once more, in my thoughts, the
green corpse of the priest drifted by.

Among the people of Mondoldo, a violent commotion now raged. They
were amazed at Taji's recognition by the strangers, and at the deadly
ferocity they betrayed.

Rallying upon this, and perceiving that by divulging all they knew,
these sons of Aleema might stir up the Islanders against me, I
resolved to anticipate their story; and, turning to Borabolla, said--
"In these strangers, oh, king! you behold the survivors of a band we
encountered on our voyage. From them I rescued a maiden, called
Yillah, whom they were carrying captive. Little more of their history
do I know."

"Their maledictions?" exclaimed Borabolla.

"Are they not delirious with suffering?" I cried. "They know not what
they say."

So, moved by all this, he commanded them to be guarded, and conducted
within his palisade; and having supplied them with cheer, entered
into earnest discourse. Yet all the while, the pale strangers on me
fixed their eyes; deep, dry, crater-like hollows, lurid with flames,
reflected from the fear-frozen glacier, my soul.

But though their hatred appalled, spite of that spell, again the
sweet dream of Yillah stole over me, with all the mysterious
things by her narrated, but left unexplained. And now, before me were
those who might reveal the lost maiden's whole history, previous to
the fatal affray.

Thus impelled, I besought them to disclose what they knew.

But, "Where now is your Yillah?" they cried. "Is the murderer wedded
and merry? Bring forth the maiden!"

Yet, though they tore out my heart's core, I told them not of my loss.

Then, anxious, to learn the history of Yillah, all present commanded
them to divulge it; and breathlessly I heard what follows.

"Of Yillah, we know only this:--that many moons ago, a mighty canoe,
full of beings, white, like this murderer Taji, touched at our island
of Amma. Received with wonder, they were worshiped as gods; were
feasted all over the land. Their chief was a tower to behold; and
with him, was a being, whose cheeks were of the color of the red
coral; her eye, tender as the blue of the sky. Every day our people
brought her offerings of fruit and flowers; which last she would not
retain for herself; but hung them round the neck of her child,
Yillah; then only an infant