mmit, Blount had reached the fence
surrounding his house, and Banderah and Taya and her two young brothers,
rifles in hand, met the trader.

"Quick, take her!" and he pushed Mrs. Deighton into Taya's arms and
looked back.

"My God! he's going up to Burrowes' house! Come, Banderah," and he
started back again, "he'll be speared or shot before he gets there."

Just as the missionary reached the door and began in feeble, exhausted
tones to call out, Blount and the chief caught up to him, and seizing
his hands dragged him away again down the hill.

"Don't bother about them, they are all on board," was all Blount said.
And there was no time to talk, for now fierce cries were heard in the
direction of the mission house, and Blount and Banderah, looking back,
saw black, naked figures leap over the low stone wall enclosing the
missionary's dwelling and disappear inside.

"Just in time," muttered the trader, as dragging Mr. Deighton between
them they gained the house, and sat the missionary down beside his wife,
who with a cry of thankfulness threw her arms about his neck and then
quietly fainted.

* * * * *

For nearly half an hour Blount, with Banderah and the missionary by his
side, looked out through the windows and saw the natives plundering
and wrecking the mission house and the dwellings of Schwartzkoff and
Burrowes. A mile away, motionless upon the glassy waters of the harbour,
lay the schooner, with her boat astern, and every now and then Blount
would take a look at her through his glass.

"I can't see a soul on deck," he said to Mr. Deighton. "I heard that
Peter and Burrowes went off this morning with the captain, all pretty
well drunk. Would to God I knew what is best to do! To go on board would
perhaps mean that those ruffians would shoot us down before we were
alongside. No, we'll stay here and take our chance. Banderah says he
feels pretty sure that he can protect us from his own people. They'd
never dare to hurt him; and I think _that_ will steady them a bit,"
and he pointed to the fence, upon which, at intervals, were tied green
cocoanut boughs. These had just been placed there by Banderah himself,
and meant that the house was _tapu_--it and all in it were sacred.

"God grant it may!" said Mr. Deighton, and looking at the mystic
sign, the use of which he had so often tried to put down as a silly,
heathenish practice, he felt a twinge of conscience.

At last the work of plunder was over, and then Blount