THE RESCUE OF NEKIBIL 227 
ily of the young man to whom Nekibil had been talking. 
Painted and armed, these murderous fellows soon set out 
upon their foul érrand, only to find the family had fled to the 
bush. With much shouting they returned, and upon find- 
ing the girl still alive, they sent an imperative message to 
the missionary to give her up, that her husband might kill 
her. On receiving this message, Mr. Brown went at once 
to the chief and pleaded most earnestly that he would not 
do this cruel deed. He offered to give him many things 
that the chief valued if he would consent to spare the 
girl’s life. 
Heretofore the chief had been civil to Mr. Brown, but 
on this occasion he was violent and abusive. Mad with 
baffled rage and hoarse with shouting and yelling, he soon 
showed himself to be dangerous in the extreme. Notwith- 
standing his refusal, the missionary continued to plead, and 
increased the offers already made for her ransom. With 
savage violence both offers and pleadings were thrust aside, 
and Mr. Brown was told that if he delayed in handing over 
the girl, he, too, would be killed. 
Seeing that no good would be done by prolonging the in- 
terview, the brave missionary looked the chief straight in 
his savage, bloodshot eyes, and told him that he would not 
get the girl, neither would he now be given any of the things 
offered for her ransom. With this he turned and walked 
back to the house, followed by the fearful threats of the 
baffled chief. 
Back in the house, he at once held a consultation with old 
Jack the sailor, and the three Fijians. All agreed that they 
would not surrender the girl to such a fate, and began at 
once to nail up the doors and windows and pile boxes against 
them. 
Two messengers from the chief were with them.. They 
had come to take away the girl, but finding Mr. Brown res- 
olute, they stayed to persuade him to give her up and save 
the lives of himself and his companions. 
