Some day soon
you shall make these very gods fuel for fire." So with the companion
who came to help him, brown Papeiha went in and out of the island just
as brave Paul went in and out in the island of Cyprus and Wilfrid in
Britain. He would take his stand, now under a grove of bananas on
a great stone, and now in a village, where the people from the huts
gathered round, and again on the beach, where he would lift up his
voice above the boom of the ocean breakers to tell the story of Jesus.
And some of those degraded savages became Christians.
One day he was surprised to see one of the priests come to him leading
his ten-year-old boy.
"Take care of my boy," said the priest. "I am going to burn my god,
and I do not want my god's anger to hurt the boy. Ask your God to
protect him." So the priest went home.
Next morning quite early, before the heat of the sun was great,
Papeiha looked out and saw the priest tottering along with bent and
aching shoulders. On his back was his cumbrous wooden god. Behind the
priest came a furious crowd, waving their arms and crying out:
"Madman, madman, the god will kill you."
"You may shout," answered the priest, "but you will not change me.
I am going to worship Jehovah, the God of Papeiha." And with that he
threw down the god at the feet of the teachers.
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