"I am Marama, the chief of Orofena. We have never seen men like
you before, if you are men. What brought you here and with you
that fierce and terrible animal, or evil spirit which makes a
noise and bites?"

Now Bickley pretended to consult me who stood brooding and
majestic, that is if I can be majestic. I whispered something and
he answered:

"The gods of the wind and the sea."

"What nonsense," ejaculated Bastin, "there are no such things."

"Shut up," I said, "we must use similes here," to which he
replied:

"I don't like similes that tamper with the truth."

"Remember Neptune and Aeolus," I suggested, and he lapsed into
consideration of the point.

"We knew that you were coming," said Marama. "Our doctors told
us all about you a moon ago. But we wish that you would come more
gently, as you nearly washed away our country."

After looking at me Bickley replied:

"How thankful should you be that in our kindness we have spared
you."