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A Bold Stratagem

           TheprojectofPaganelwasthereforeadopted,andcertainlywiththesuperstitiousideasoftheMaoriesthereseemedgoodgroundforhope.Butbrilliantastheideamightbe,thedifficultywasinthemodusoperandi.Thevolcanomightdevourtheboldschemers,whooffereditacrater.Couldtheycontrolanddirecttheeruptionwhentheyhadsucceededinlettinglooseitsvaporandflames,andlavastreams?Theentireconemightbeengulfed.Itwasmeddlingwithphenomenaofwhichnatureherselfhastheabsolutemonopoly.

           Paganelhadthoughtofallthis;butheintendedtoactprudentlyandwithoutpushingthingstoextremes.AnappearancewouldbeenoughtodupetheMaories,andtherewasnoneedfortheterriblerealitiesofaneruption.

           Howlongthatdayseemed.Eachoneofthepartyinwardlycountedthehours.Allwasmadereadyforflight.Theoudoupaprovisionsweredividedandformedveryportablepackets.Somematsandfirearmscompletedtheirlightequipment,allofwhichtheytookfromthetombofthechief.Itisneedlesstosaythattheirpreparationsweremadewithintheinclosure,andthattheywereunseenbythesavages.

           Atsixo’clockthestewardserveduparefreshingmeal.WhereorwhentheywouldeatinthevalleysoftheRangesnoonecouldforetell.Sothattheyhadtotakeinsuppliesforthefuture.Theprincipaldishwascomposedofhalfadozenrats,caughtbyWilsonandstewed.LadyHelenaandMaryGrantobstinatelyrefusedtotastethisgame,whichishighlyesteemedbythenatives;butthemenenjoyeditliketherealMaories.

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