Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
346 
and said that an offering of a young boy or girl 
must be made to Tahua and Mau, the shark 
gods ; and that the gods would speak to 
him that night, and tell him who the boy or 
girl should be. He, the cruel Matara, meant 
that one of Hino-riri’s children should be taken 
and cast to the sharks; for it was in his mind 
that when both her children were dead she 
would be easy to his desire. 
But that night some young men, who were 
eager to please Matara and see the new religion 
driven out, stole upon a young lad named Ono 
and dragged him away to the reef, bound hand 
and foot, and cast him over to the sharks. 
They saw him sink and drown in the boiling 
surf, and then hurried back and told Matara. 
He was angry when he was told the boy’s 
name, and said they had acted foolishly to take 
so much upon themselves, but yet said they 
had tried to please the gods. 
That night the house of Tati was consumed 
by fire, which seized it while the wind was 
strong ; and so quickly did it burn that he 
and his wife and children and slaves had scarce 
time to save their lives. 
“ See, O foolish man,” said Matara bitterly, 
