Robin Hood

jectthe duty of faith. As he went back to his hut he saw that the snakewhich John had killed had been set upon a pole in that part o

ought; it was theprospects of his cause which troubled him. It seemed much to expectthat Heaven again should throw over him the mantle of its especialprotection, and yet if it did not do so there was an end of hismission among the People of Fire. Well, he did not seek this trial--hewould have avoided it if he could,

hus John entered

the matter?

ve not we shallcertainly be killed when we stand yonder on the Place of Fire.""John," he said, "I cannot speak to the lightning in a voice which itcan hear. I cannot say to it 'go yonder,' or 'come hither,' but He Whomade it can do so. Why do you tempt me with your doubts? Have I nottold you the story of Elijah the prophet and the priests of Baal? DidElijah's Master forsake him, and shall He forsake us? Also this iscertain, tha

during all that time thethermometer in Owen's hut, notwithstanding the protection of a thickhatch, had shown the t

-day?" asked Owen of Nodwe

for the heaven is full of fire. AlreadyHokosa and the doctors are at their rites upon the plain yonde

storm in safety. But I saythat I will not use it. Are we witch doctors that we should takerefuge in tricks? No, let faith be our shield, and if it fail us, thenlet us die. Pray now with me that it may not fail us."*****It was afternoon. All round the Field of Fire were gathered thousandsupon thousands of the people of the Amasuka. The news of this duelbetween the God of the white man and their god had travelled far andwide, and even the very aged who could scarcely crawl and

ain Hokosa fed with aromatic leaves, at the same timepouring medicine from his bowl upon the holy stone. Opposite thesymbol of the god, but at a good distance from it, a great cross ofwhite wood was set up in the r

Messenger, my son tells methat your wisdom knows a plan whereby you may be preserved from thefury of the tempest. Use it, I pray of you, Messenger, that your lifemay be saved, and with it the life of the only son who is left to me.""I cann

its me yonder, but nothingexcept death shall keep me back from the venture.""It is well spoken," said the king; "be it as you will."Now the company of wizards, leaving their medicine-pots upon theground, formed themselves in a treble line, and mar

lightnings. Ah! they shall fly about you like spearsin battle. You shall throw yourself upon the ground and shriek interror, and then they will lick you up and you shall be no more, andthere will be an end of you and the symbol of your God.""Cease your boastings," said the king shortly, "and ge

ence intense and unnatural; and so great was the heat thatthe air danced visibly above the ironstone as it dances about aglowing stove. Suddenly th

d the stream and walked towards the wooden cross. Afterhim came the Prince Nodwengo,

ree men indeed seemed clothed with a curiousdignity. Perhaps it was their slow and quiet gait, perhaps a sense ofthe errand upon which they were bound; or it may have been the strangeunearthly light that fell upon them from ov

htnings rushing upwards fromthe earth. The air was filled with a tumult of uncertain wind and ahiss as of distant rain. Then the batteries of thunder were opened,and the world shook with their volume. Down from on high the flashesfell blinding and incessant, and by the light of them the fire-doctorscou

ntastic andhorrible than the last, smote upon the floor of ironstone. It playedabout the shapes of the doctors, who in the mi

this day thePeople of Fire talk of as a marvel, for in an instant the rain beganto pour like a wall of water stretching fro

ht as if ithad been drawn with a rule. The thunder-clouds that were pressedforward met the clouds that were pressed back, and together theyseemed to come to earth, filling the air with a gloom so

strange and ardent shapesappeared ascending and descending; the thunder bellowed till themountains rocked, and in one last blaze, awful and indescribable, theskies melted into a

fromthe face of the pale earth like a pall from the face of the dead, a

g intheir terror, and one, Hokosa himself, stood staring at the fallen, avery picture of despair. Nor was this all, for the meteor stone

eath and dismay among those who would have harmed us. Mayforgiveness be theirs who were without understanding. Brethren, let usreturn and make report to the king."Now, as they had come, so they went back; first Owen with thecrucifix, next to him Nodwengo, and last of the three John. They drewnear to the king, when suddenly, moved by a common impulse,

man? Rise, I command you!"Then the king rose, saying:--"You are no man, Mess

irit Whom I serve has made His power manifest in me His servant, andy

e brought hither."They fetched

greater than ourmagic. By his command the tempest was stayed, and the boasts we hurledfell back upon our heads and the head of our god to destroy us.""Yes," said the king, "victory