womansawamanswimfromthehighseasandplungedirectintothebush；hewasnomanofthatneighbourhood；anditwasknownhewasoneofthegods，speedingtoacouncil。Mostperspicuousofall，amissionaryonSavaii，whoisalsoamedicalman，wasdisturbedlateinthenightbyknocking；itwasnohourforthedispensary，butatlengthhewokehisservantandsenthimtoinquire；theservant，lookingfromawindow，beheldcrowdsofpersons，allwithgrievouswounds，loppedlimbs，brokenheads，andbleedingbullet-holes；butwhenthedoorwasopenedallhaddisappeared。Theyweregodsfromthefieldofbattle。Nowthesereportshavecertainlysignificance；itisnothardtotracethemtopoliticalgrumblersortoreadinthemathreatofcomingtrouble；fromthatmerelyhumansideIfoundthemominousmyself。Butitwasthespiritualsideoftheirsignificancethatwasdiscussedinsecretcouncilbymyrulers。IshallbestdepictthismingledhabitofthePolynesianmindbytwoconnectedinstances。Ioncelivedinavillage，thenameofwhichIdonotmeantotell。Thechiefandhissisterwerepersonsperfectlyintelligent：gentlefolk，aptofspeech。Thesisterwasveryreligious，agreatchurch-goer，onethatusedtoreprovemeifIstayedaway；Ifoundafterwardsthatsheprivatelyworshippedashark。Thechiefhimselfwassomewhatofafreethinker；attheleast，alatitudinarian：hewasaman，besides，filledwithEuropeanknowledgeandaccomplishments；ofanimpassive，ironicalhabit；andIshouldassoonhaveexpectedsuperstitioninMr。HerbertSpencer。Hearthesequel。Ihaddiscoveredbyunmistakablesignsthattheyburiedtooshallowinthevillagegraveyard，andItookmyfriend，astheresponsibleauthority，totask。’Thereissomethingwrongaboutyourgraveyard，’saidI，’whichyoumustattendto，oritmayhaveverybadresults。’’Somethingwrong?Whatisit?’heasked，withanemotionthatsurprisedme。’Ifyoucaretogoalongthereanyeveningaboutnineo’clockyoucanseeforyourself，’saidI。Hesteppedbackward。’Aghost！’hecried。
　　Inshort，inthewholefieldoftheSouthSeas，thereisnotonetoblameanother。Halfbloodandwhole，piousanddebauched，intelligentanddull，allmenbelieveinghosts，allmencombinewiththeirrecentChristianityfearofandalingeringfaithintheoldislanddeities。So，inEurope，thegodsofOlympusslowlydwindledintovillagebogies；soto-day，thetheologicalHighlandersneaksfromundertheeyeoftheFreeChurchdivinetolayanofferingbyasacredwell。
　　ItrytodealwiththewholematterherebecauseofaparticularqualityinPaumotuansuperstitions。ItistrueIheardthemtoldbyamanwithageniusforsuchnarrations。Closeaboutoureveninglamp，withinsoundoftheislandsurf，wehungonhiswords，thrilling。Thereader，infarotherscenes，mustlistencloseforthefaintecho。
　　Thisbundleofweirdstoriessprangfromtheburialandthewoman’sselfishconjuration。IwasdissatisfiedwithwhatIheard，harpeduponquestions，andstruckatlastthisveinofmetal。Itisfromsundowntoaboutfourinthemorningthatthekinsfolkcampuponthegrave；andthesearethehoursofthespirits’wanderings。Atanytimeofthenight-itmaybeearlier，itmaybelater-asoundistobeheardbelow，whichisthenoiseofhisliberation；
　　atfoursharp，anotherandaloudermarkstheinstantofthere-
　　imprisonment；between-whiles，hegoeshismalignantrounds。’Didyoueverseeanevilspirit?’wasonceaskedofaPaumotuan。
　　’Once。’’Underwhatform?’’Itwasintheformofacrane。’’Andhowdidyouknowthatcranetobeaspirit?’wasasked。’Iwilltellyou，’heanswered；andthiswasthepurportofhisinconclusivenarrative。Hisfatherhadbeendeadnearlyafortnight；othershadweariedofthewatch；andasthesunwassetting，hefoundhimselfbythegravealone。Itwasnotyetdark，ratherthehouroftheafterglow，whenhewasawareofasnow-whitecraneuponthecoralmound；presentlymorecranescame，somewhite，someblack；thenthecranesvanished，andhesawintheirplaceawhitecat，towhichtherewassilentlyjoinedagreatcompanyofcatsofeveryhueconceivable；thenthesealsodisappeared，andhewasleftastonished。
　　Thiswasananodyneappearance。TakeinsteadtheexperienceofRua-a-mariterangiontheisleofKatiu。Hehadaneedforsomepandanus，andcrossedtheisletothesea-beach，whereitchieflyflourishes。Thedaywasstill，andRuawassurprisedtohearacrashingsoundamongthethickets，andthenthefallofaconsiderabletree。Heremustbesomeonebuildingacanoe；andheenteredthemarginofthewoodtofindandpassthetimeofdaywiththischanceneighbour。Thecrashingsoundedmoreathand；andthenhewasawareofsomethingdrawingswiftlynearamongthetree-
　　tops。Itswungbyitsheelsdownward，likeanape，sothatitshandswerefreeformurder；itdependedsafelybytheslightesttwigs；thespeedofitscomingwasincredible；andsoonRuarecogniseditforacorpse，horriblewithage，itsbowelshangingasitcame。PrayerwastheweaponofChristianintheValleyoftheShadow，anditistoprayerthatRua-a-mariterangiattributeshisescape。Nomerelyhumanexpeditionhadavailed。
　　Thisdemonwasplainlyfromthegrave；yetyouwillobservehewasabroadbyday。Andinconsistentasitmayseemwiththehoursofthenightwatchandthemanyreferencestotherisingofthemorningstar，itisnosingularexception。Icouldneverfindacaseofanotherwhohadseenthisghost，diurnalandarborealinitshabits；butothershaveheardthefallofthetree，whichseemsthesignalofitscoming。Mr。DonatwasoncepearlingontheuninhabitedisleofHaraiki。Itwasadaywithoutabreathofwind，suchasalternateinthearchipelagowithdaysofcontumeliousbreezes。Thediverswereinthemidstofthelagoonupontheiremployment；thecook，aboyoften，wasoverhispotsinthecamp。ThuswereallsoulsaccountedforexceptasinglenativewhoaccompaniedDonatintothewoodinquestofsea-fowls’eggs。
　　Inamoment，outofthestillness，camethesoundofthefallofagreattree。Donatwouldhavepassedontofindthecause。’No，’
　　criedhiscompanion，’thatwasnotree。ItwassomethingNOT
　　RIGHT。Letusgobacktocamp。’NextSundaythediverswereturnedon，allthatpartoftheislewasthoroughlyexamined，andsureenoughnotreehadfallen。AlittlelaterMr。Donatsawoneofhisdiversfleefromasimilarsound，insimilarunaffectedpanic，onthesameisle。Butneitherwouldexplain，anditwasnottillafterwards，whenhemetwithRua，thathelearnedtheoccasionoftheirterrors。
　　Butwhetherbydayornight，thepurposeofthedeadintheseabhorredactivitiesisstillthesame。InSamoa，myinformanthadnoideaofthefoodofthebushspirits；nosuchambiguitywouldexistinthemindofaPaumotuan。Inthathungryarchipelago，livinganddeadmustaliketoilfornutriment；andtheracehavingbeencannibalinthepast，thespiritsaresostill。Whenthelivingatethedead，horrifiednocturnalimaginationdrewtheshockinginferencethatthedeadmighteattheliving。Doubtlesstheyslaymen，doubtlessevenmutilatethem，inmeremalice。
　　Marquesanspiritssometimestearouttheeyesoftravellers；buteventhatmaybemorepracticalthanappears，fortheeyeisacannibaldainty。Andcertainlytheroot-ideaofthedead，atleastinthefareasternislands，istoprowlforfood。ItwasasadaintymorselforamealthatthewomandenouncedDonatatthefuneral。Therearespiritsbesideswhopreyinparticularnotonthebodiesbutonthesoulsofthedead。ThepointisclearlymadeinaTahitianstory。Achildfellsick，grewswiftlyworse，andatlastshowedsignsofdeath。Themotherhastenedtothehouseofasorcerer，wholivedhardby。’Youareyetintime，’saidhe；’aspirithasjustrunpastmydoorcarryingthesoulofyourchildwrappedintheleafofapurao；butIhaveaspiritstrongerandswifterwhowillrunhimdownerehehastimetoeatit。’Wrappedinaleaf：likeotherthingsedibleandcorruptible。
　　OrtakeanexperienceofMr。Donat’sontheislandofAnaa。Itwasanightofahighwind，withviolentsqualls；hischildwasverysick，andthefather，thoughhehadgonetobed，laywakeful，hearkeningtothegale。Allatonceafowlwasviolentlydashedonthehousewall。Supposinghehadforgottoputitinshelterwiththerest，Donatarose，foundthebirdacocklyingontheverandah，andputitinthehen-house，thedoorofwhichhesecurelyfastened。Fifteenminuteslaterthebusinesswasrepeated，onlythistime，asitwasbeingdashedagainstthewall，thebirdcrew。AgainDonatreplacedit，examiningthehen-housethoroughlyandfindingitquiteperfect；ashewassoengagedthewindpuffedouthislight，andhemustgropebacktothedooragooddealshaken。Yetathirdtimethebirdwasdasheduponthewall；athirdtimeDonatsetit，nowneardead，besideitsmates；
　　andhewasscarcereturnedbeforetherecamearush，likethatofafuriousstrongman，againstthedoor，andawhistleasloudasthatofarailwayenginerangaboutthehouse。Thescepticalreadermayheredetectthefingerofthetempest；butthewomengaveupallforlostandclusteredonthebedslamenting。Nothingfollowed，andImustsupposethegalesomewhatabated，forpresentlyafterachiefcamevisiting。Hewasaboldmantobeabroadsolate，butdoubtlesscarriedabrightlantern。Andhewascertainlyamanofcounsel，forassoonasheheardthedetailsofthesedisturbanceshewasinapositiontoexplaintheirnature。’Yourchild，’saidhe，’mustcertainlydie。Thisistheevilspiritofourislandwholiesinwaittoeatthespiritsofthenewlydead。’Andthenhewentontoexpatiateonthestrangenessofthespirit’sconduct。
　　Hewasnotusually，heexplained，soopenofassault，butsatsilentonthehouse-topwaiting，intheguiseofabird，whilewithinthepeopletendedthedyingandbewailedthedead，andhadnothoughtofperil。Butwhenthedaycameandthedoorswereopened，andmenbegantogoabroad，blood-stainsonthewallbetrayedthetragedy。
　　ThisisthequalityIadmireinPaumotuanlegend。InTahitithespirit-eaterissaidtoassumeavesturewhichhasmuchmoreofpomp，buthowmuchlessofhorror。Ithasbeenseenbyallsortsandconditions，nativeandforeign；onlythelastinsistitisameteor。Myauthoritywasnotsosure。Hewasridingwithhiswifeabouttwointhemorning；bothwerenearasleep，andthehorsesnotmuchbetter。Itwasabrilliantandstillnight，andtheroadwoundoveramountain，nearbyadesertedmaraeoldTahitiantemple。Allatoncetheappearancepassedabovethem：aformoflight；theheadroundandgreenish；thebodylong，red，andwithafocusofyetredderbrilliancyaboutthemidst。Abuzzinghootaccompanieditspassage；itflewdirectoutofonemarae，anddirectforanotherdownthemountainside。Andthis，asmyinformantargued，issuggestive。Forwhyshouldameremeteorfrequentthealtarsofabominablegods?Thehorses，Ishouldsay，wereequallydismayedwiththeirriders。NowIamnotdismayedatall-notevenagreeably。Givemeratherthebirduponthehouse-
　　topandthemorningblood-goutsonthewall。
　　Butthedeadarenotexclusiveintheirdiet。Theycarrywiththemtothegrave，inparticular，thePolynesiantasteforfish，andenterattimeswiththelivingintoapartnershipinfishery。Rua-