He began to relent. He took me into a room, and laid out for me a suit of his own. I being then very slender, and he a big-framed farmer, my new dress, though greatly adding to my comfort, enhanced the singularity of my appearance. Returning to him, washed and dressed, I inquired if he had arranged for a meeting? My tongue, I fear, was still unsteady, for the squatter looked at me rather reproachfully, and said, “Do you really consider yourself fit to appear before a meeting to-night?” I assured him that he was quite wrong in his suspicions, that I was a life-long Abstainer, and that my nerves had been so unhinged by the terrible ride and the runaway horse. He smiled rather suggestively, and said we would see how I felt after tea. We went to the table. All that had occurred was now consummated by my appearing in the lusty farmer’s clothes; and the lady and other friends had infinite difficulty in keeping their amusement within decent bounds. I again took speech in hand, but I suspect my words had still the thickness of the tippler’s utterance, for they seemed not to carry much conviction,—“Dear friends, I quite understand your feelings; appearances are so strangely against me. But I am not drunken, as ye suppose. I have tasted no intoxicating drink, I am a life-long Total Abstainer!” This fairly broke down their reserve. They laughed aloud, looking at each other and at me, as if to say, “Man, you’re drunk at this very moment.” Before tea was over they appeared, however, to begin to entertain the idea that I _might_ address the meeting; and so I was informed of the arrangements that had been made. At the meeting, my incredulous friends became very deeply interested. Manifestly their better thoughts were gaining the ascendancy. And they heaped thereafter every kindness upon me, as if to make amends for harder suspicions. Next morning the master drove me about ten miles further on to the Church. A groom rode the race-horse, who took no scathe from his thundering gallop of the day before. It left deeper traces upon me. I got through the Services, however, and with good returns for the Mission. Twice since, on my Mission tours, I have found myself at that same memorable house; and on each occasion a large company of friends were being regaled by the good lady there with very comical descriptions of my first arrival at her door. CHAPTER II. AMONG THE ABORIGINES. A Fire-Water Festival.—At Tea with the Aborigines.—“Black Fellow all Gone!”—The Poison-Gift and Civilization.—The “Scattering” of the Blacks.—The “Brute-in-human-shape” Theory.—The Testimony of Nora.—Nathaniel Pepper and their “Gods.”—Smooth Stone Idols.—Rites and Ceremonies.—“Too much Devil-Devil.”—The Quest for Idols.—Visit to Nora in the Camp.—Independent Testimonies.—Nora’s own Letters.—The Aborigines in Settlements.