Some little time elapsed before the chief made his appearance amid a group of elders. At first he stood suspiciously aloof while Coja explained the purpose of the white men’s visit, but when Mr. Halliday displayed a strip of coloured cloth, and Coja announced that it was a gift for the chief, the natives drew a little nearer, and said that they were willing to be friends if the strangers would not rob them. Coja’s reply to this was that the white men were very good, and would never dream of robbing their friends, adding that the cloth would be handed to the chief if he would come and answer a few questions. "Give it him at once," said Mr. Halliday, "and say there’s more if they’ll tell us what we want to know." The gift of the cloth finally disarmed the chief’s suspicions. Looking very much pleased, he came forward with his men, and said that he was ready to give what help he could. Mr. Gillespie had warned Mr. Halliday not to believe too implicitly any statements made by natives, who would always say what they thought would please; so when, in answer to his question about a post with a man’s head, the chief said that he certainly knew it, and asked for another piece of cloth, Mr. Halliday shook his head, promising to give more presents if the chief would lead him to the landmark. At this the chief looked much troubled, and his men began to talk eagerly, it being evident from their manner that they were trying to dissuade him from complying with the white man’s request. Mr. Halliday was at a loss to understand their reluctance until Coja, after a long colloquy with the chief, announced that they were afraid to go near the post, which was a terrible devil, for their medicine man had seen its eyes move, and its mouth grin at him. It had come there suddenly one day, no one knew how, but they thought it must have sprung out of the ground, and some of their cattle that grazed around it had soon afterwards died, so that they were sure it was a devil, and they had never since allowed their herds to roam in that direction. "Where is it?" asked Mr. Halliday.