WITH THE PIONEERS ON ERROMANGO 131 
Mrs. Gordon were in danger, and advised him to try to in- 
duce Mr. Gordon to remove with his family from the place 
where he was residing, and take up his abode among the 
friendly natives in the bay. The place where he now lived 
was on a neighboring height about a thousand feet above 
the sea level, and far away from his friends. 
“Mr. Gordon did not seem to credit the report, and de- 
clined to comply with the advice of the natives. On the 
afternoon of the following day, Joe and Mana went to Mrs. 
Gordon, and talked to her about their danger. They told 
her that they had heard from a party of friendly natives 
that the murder of herself and Mr. Gordon had been talked 
of publicly at a feast, which had taken place some time be- 
fore at a distant village, as a thing determined upon. Mrs. 
Gordon went, as Joe and Mana supposed, to consult with 
Mr. Gordon, and there the thing ended for that day. 
“On the following morning, the day of the massacre, at 
the close of the morning school, Mr. Gordon told eight of 
the young men of his family, among whom were Joe and 
Mana, to go down to the bay and cut thatch for a house 
which Mr. Gordon was engaged in building, about halfway 
from the place where he was now living toward the bay. 
Two lads remained, one of whom Mr. Gordon directed to 
remain with Mrs. Gordon, and the other to go with him to 
work at the house. 
“The lads objected to Mr. Gordon’s proposal, and sug- 
gested that half their number should go with him to work 
at the house, and half should stay with Mrs. Gordon in case 
an attack should be made upon one or both of the parties. 
To this suggestion Mr. Gordon would not agree; so the two 
lads did as directed, one remaining with Mrs. Gordon, the 
other going with Mr. Gordon, and the eight going down to 
the bay to cut thatch. There was a girl also with Mrs. 
Gordon. 
“Mr. Gordon, who was strangely unsuspicious of danger, 
told the lads who went to get thatch not to return home early, 
