picked up a great pebble and hurled it full at the savage who was
pursuing him. The man was stunned. Turning again, Cunningham leapt
safely into the boat.

Williams, leaving the brook, had rushed down the beach to leap into
the sea. Reaching the edge of the water, where the beach falls steeply
into the sea, he slipped on a pebble and fell into the water.

Cunningham, from the boat, hurled stones at the natives rushing at
Williams, who lay prostrate in the water with a savage over him with
uplifted club. The club fell, and other Erromangans, rushing in, beat
him with their clubs and shot their arrows into him until the ripples
of the beach ran red with his blood.

The hero who had carried the flaming torch of peace on earth to
the savages on scores of islands across the great Pacific Ocean was
dead--the first martyr of Erromanga.

* * * * *

When _The Camden_ sailed back to Samoa, scores of canoes put out to
meet her. A brown Samoan guided the first canoe.

"Missi William," he shouted.

"He is dead," came the answer.

The man stood as though stunned. He dropped his paddle; he drooped his
head, and great tears welled out from the eyes of this dark islander
and ran down his cheeks.