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282 Death itself being preferable to this prolonged state of uncertainty the missionaries set their wits to work to devise a scheme for ending it one way or other, and eventually hit on an idea which was somewhat after the fashion of throwing a sop to Cerberus. They determined upon baking three or four huge dampers, and carrying them boldly, with several plates piled up with sugar, as a peace-offering to the company beside the pond; and to show that no treachery was intended the bearers of the feast filled their own mouths with fragments of the dampers, and chewed in a very demonstrative manner as the procession moved along.

The natives perhaps thought it would be infra dig. to seem too easily mollified, for, at sight of the approaching collation, the men snatched up their spears and the women and children ran away howling dismally. However, the missionaries without any symptoms of fear continued to advance, with a great parade of eating heartily, and making signs that the dampers should be accepted, and the weapons laid aside. A few of the natives complied, and the Benedictines, much encouraged, offered sugar to some little ones who had not joined the others in running away, but had remained clinging tightly to their father's legs and crying as if frightened out of their senses. At the first taste of the sugar the children spat it out suspiciously, but on a second trial nodded approval and persuaded the others to eat of it likewise. In a few seconds both sugar and dampers disappeared, and a general scramble was going on for the crumbs. The missionaries made holiday for the remainder of that day, being accompanied back to their hut by some of the natives, in whom