strangers. They were all so happy! They seemed not to have a care;
nothing to trouble them. Joy was in every face, and happy laughter
and bright, loving words were on every tongue.

"I left that village and walked on to the next. I was not tired, for
it seemed no trouble to walk. It was the same there; thousands of
people, and every one so joyous and happy. Some of these I knew. I
spoke to a few people, then went on again. I seemed to be on my way
to the volcano,--to Pele's pit,--and could not stop, much as I wanted
to do so.

"All along the road were houses and people, where I had never known
any one to live. Every bit of good ground had many houses, and many,
many happy people on it. I felt so full of joy, too, that my heart
sang within me, and I was glad to be dead.

"In time I came to South Point, and there, too, was a great crowd
of people. The barren point was a great village, I was greeted with
happy _alohas_, then passed on. All through Kau it was the same, and
I felt happier every minute. At last I reached the volcano. There
were some people there, but not so many as at other places. They,
too, were happy like the others, but they said, 'You must go back to
your body. You are not to die yet.'

"I did not want to go back. I begged and prayed to be allowed to stay
with them, but they said, 'No, you must go back; and if you do not
go willingly, we will make you go.'

"I cried and tried to stay, but they drove me back, even beating me
when I stopped and would not go on. So I was driven over the road