His attention being called to the helpless condition of his late antagonist, he was finally persuaded to adventure one of his hands upon the head of the savage in the way of benediction. Answering to a given signal the battery claimed the padre as a victim through the chief, whose yell was accompanied with the exclamation, “My conscience’ sake alive!”—then his fears became as vivid in expression as those of his intended convert. Mr. Welson, addressing himself somewhat scornfully to the padre, said, “You accused me of infidelity when I endeavored to use my privileged endowment of reason bestowed by the Creator for human direction; now you will see how much better it serves as an exorcist than your faith in a religion that ignores man’s duty for the fulfillment of intention in its bestowal.” He then made a few passes over the Indian, and when he had gained the full attraction of fearful awe with mumbling incantations, the padre was reluctantly induced to replace his hands on the chief’s shoulders and remove them without alarming impression. Then assuming an awful aspect and tone, as if addressing the powers of air with the spirit of invocation, he implored their aid to convict the reptile savage, and civilized devotee of a blind infatuation, of their willful errors alike dangerous to the well- being of humanity. When made sufficiently impressive he commanded the padre to take the chief’s hands. Overawed by the majestic impersonation of sublime authority enacted by Mr. Welson, the two joined hands, both keeping their eyes fastened in blank wonder upon his face and movements. The conjuration having fixed their attention, he pronounced in a loud voice the magic word “Letonnow!” Immediately the two commenced a series of contortionate grimaces, directed toward each other, accompanied with spasmodic hand-jerking. The actors were so engrossed with their fears that the spectators were fain to have recourse to a variety of succedaneum vents to suppress the outburst of laughter, the sailors adopting the novel expedient of revolving their quids around the tips of their tongues, which ejected a jet of saturated decoction from the corners of their mouths with every revolution. But for Mr. Welson’s practiced command of his emotions, subject to the control of judgment, the ludicrous scene might have been continued to the extent of injury, for his associates were, from spasmodic action, to all intents speechless. When at length the larger fraction of a minute had been exhausted in husky attempts to command his voice, he managed to stay proceedings with a sign evoked from head and hand, faintly sustained with a vocal negative. When the current was checked the last vestige of ferocity had departed from the face of the savage, leaving the vacuum unsupplied, as it was his sole dependence for the facial expression of his emotions. The padre’s face was confounded with a blending of superstitious dread and suspicion, for with all his phantasmic