My Native Servants . 
I HAD just said good-bye to the captain of 
the trading vessel that had landed me on 
Niue (Savage Island), and was watching her 
getting under way, when I saw that a deputation 
of the leading villagers was awaiting me at the 
top of the rugged path that led to my dwelling. 
Seeing among them several of the people who 
had been assisting the ship’s crew to carry my 
goods up to the house, I concluded they were 
waiting to tell me the usual native story of 
having individually and collectively strained 
their backs by lifting cases of tinned beef, and 
demand another dollar each. 
I was mistaken. Soseni, the spokesman, 
stepped out and said that he and the deputa¬ 
tion, representing as they did the public voice 
of Avatele village, respectfully desired to warn 
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