ould listen;
and presently I learned something that made my heart stand still.

"It has been so long since we had one," said a native to his fellow.

"Yes; and this one will be delicious. They say he is young and fat.
Why, we have not touched any since the four men and their woman with
the jewelry came upon the island from a wreck."

"True; but this one will not go around among so many of us--many must
go without."

"What of that? Those not supplied now will have all the keener relish
when their turn comes. All that are left now are good and fat, as the
king has taken away all the lean and sickly ones. He would not allow
the people to touch them, although some of them begged very hard. So,
to make sure, they were placed in the kiln."

So heavy a sickness fell upon me when I heard this that I was near upon
a betrayal of my presence; and certainly I lost some of the talk which
these men were having. Presently I realized that nothing indicating a
horrible fate for my friends had been said; my own fears were
sufficient to give a frightful color to their language. When I looked
about me again they were gone, and so with much caution I moved to
another part of the town, keeping always in shadow. At a certain place
I heard another conversation, as follows:

"Does he know what they will do with him?"

"No; but he fears something. He does not understand the language. He
tried to get away this afternoon to go to the sea-shore, where he
thought the boat was waiting, and when they made an effort to keep him
quiet he became very angry."

"What did they do then?"

"They took him to the king, who was so kind that the young man became
quiet. Our king is so gentle, and they always believe what he tells
them,"--whereupon the fellow broke into a hearty laugh.

"And do the others suspect nothing?"

"There is doubt about that. Kololu, the farmer, has reported that they
appear uneasy and disturbed, and hold secret meetings."

"What do you think they would do if they should discover everything?"

"Revolt, I think, for they appear to be fighters."

"But they have no arms, and we are more than a hundred to one."

"That is true, and so no lives would be lost on either side. After the
revolt they would merely be kept in closer confinement, and no harm
would come in the end. They could be taken one at a time, as is the
present intention."

"They might refuse to eat sufficient, and hence become lean."

"That would come about su