Chap. XVIII. 
A TRESPASSER. 
288 
the bridge and by the side of the angler before the 
latter knew that he had been observed ; indeed the first 
intimation he received of his being discovered was from 
the bamboo, which the priest did not fail to lay pretty 
smartly over his shoulders. 
This scene was now most laughable to all except 
the trespasser. He seemed at first inclined to turn 
upon his assailant, but the priest, who was a stout 
young fellow, laid the bamboo on without mercy. The 
other priests were also fast coming upon the scene of 
action. When the delinquent observed them, he evi- 
dently considered that " discretion was the better part of 
valour," and took to his heels, running up the hill with 
the whole party of priests in full chace after him. He 
would most likely have been caught, had not my 
appearance on the scene attracted the notice of his 
pursuers. 
As soon as the priests saw me they gave up the 
pursuit, and, coming up to me, received me with much 
politeness, and asked me to visit the temples. In the 
mean time the unfortunate angler was making the best 
of his way over the hills in the direction of the sea. 
Having returned the salutations of the priests, I asked 
them to explain the cause of the extraordinary scene 
which I had just witnessed. They informed me that 
the man I had seen was a thief and a pirate, who had 
come from some of the neighbouring islands to fish in 
the sacred lake and kill their fishes ! 
I now walked down to the lake accompanied by 
the priests. No flower could be more beautiful or more 
