338 A MISSION TO VITI. 



the poisonous smoke. The door is then closed and his 

 friends retire a little distance, whilst the poor sufferer 

 is left to cry and shout and plead from the midst of the 

 suffocating stream ; but he is often allowed to remain 

 for hours, and finally faints away. When he is thought 

 sufficiently smoked the fire is removed, the slime scraped 

 from the body, and deep gashes cut into the skin until 

 the blood flows freely. The leper is now taken down 

 and laid on his mats to await the result. In some cases 

 death in many, life and health. Wiliami had under- 

 gone this fearful process. He had taken some of the 

 youths of the place, and on his way to the smoking- 

 house told them his pitiable condition, his shame as an 

 outcast, and his willingness to suffer anything to obtain 

 a cure, and much would depend on their firmness. They 

 were not to be moved by his groans and cries, and for 

 the love they bore him he begged them to do the ope- 

 ration well, and threatened to punish them if they per- 

 formed it only half. Imagine the scene ! They proceed 

 to the lonely house. Wiliami's companions, as much 

 afraid of overdoing as underdoing their sad task, leave 

 the poor leper drawn up by his heels in the midst of a 

 thick black smoke ; they retire to some distance, and 

 presently are horrified by his piteous cries and groans. 

 Some weep, some run home, others rush into the smo- 

 king-house to take him down ; but, with Spartan-like 

 endurance, he commands them not to terminate his suf- 

 fering until the process is complete. At last they take 

 him down he is faint and exhausted the operation 

 has been successful. Wiliami is no longer a leper, but 

 again walks God's earth a healthy man. 



