132 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
but to cut a great quantity of thatch, and return when the sun 
was low. But for this charge they would in all probability 
have returned before the attack was made, as they had great 
fears that something would take place that day, though they 
had no certain information that such would be the case. 
While at work they expressed their fears to each other, and 
some proposed that they should go home early, notwith- 
standing Mr. Gordon’s instructions to the contrary. This 
proposal was overruled by others; so they continued at their 
work as directed. 
“About noon, a party of natives, consisting of nine adults 
and a boy, came to the house where Mrs. Gordon was. One 
of the party, named Nahobili, the chief actor in what fol- 
lowed, asked Mrs. Gordon where Mr. Gordon and the young 
men of the family were. She told them that the young 
men had gone to cut thatch, and that Mr. Gordon was 
at work at the new house. She offered them food, 
which they refused, but accepted a coconut each and a few 
fishhooks. 
“Mrs. Gordon asked them what their errand was, prob- 
ably suspecting that they had evil intentions. They replied 
that they wanted cloth to cover themselves, as they wished 
to come to the service on the following Sunday. She told 
them they had better go to Mr. Gordon for that. Upon 
this they rose and left the house. When they had gone a 
little way, Mrs. Gordon called after them, asking whether 
they had come to kill her and Mr. Gordon. The adults made 
no reply, but the boy called out, as if in jest, that such was 
the case. The lad who was with Mrs. Gordon heard the 
whole conversation. He thought Mrs. Gordon did not hear 
the boy’s reply to her question, as it was windy, and the 
party were on the move down the hill. 
“They went as if they intended to go directly to the place 
where Mr. Gordon was at work; but they all concealed them- 
selves in the bush by the way, except Nahobili. He was 
closely followed by the lad from Mrs. Gordon’s family, who 
