Another magical moment of these lightning-like days brought about important events.  With an armament of scores of canoes and hundreds of warriors the chief invaded a large island, and was beaten in a bloody battle by its painim inhabitants, escaping with but a remnant of his followers.  Then came a counter invasion.  The worshippers of Father Higgins fought for their deity under his eye; the unbelievers were defeated and driven with great slaughter to their dug-outs.  But as the hostile fleet still held command of the sea and hovered menacingly off the coast, keeping the faithful under arms and preventing them from fishing, the good Father decided that peace was necessary.

“This livin’ on coky-nuts and bread-fruits intirely is bad for the stomich, Heller,” he observed.  “We must come to an ondherstandin’ wid these raskilly infidels an’ idolaters.  See if ye can’t make tarms wid um.”

The adroit Heller soon arranged a secret treaty with the enemy to the following effect:  Their chief, Umbaho, was to be universal king and his orthodox rival, Patoo-patoo, was to be beheaded; polygamy, cannibalism, and the use of the sacred poison were to continue in force; both islands were to adore Father Higgins and bring him sacrifices.

“Seems to me they’re mighty sevare tarms,” commented the Father.  “I’d ’a been glad to get howld av a bit av timporal sovereighnty, don’t you see?  Moreover, I’m sorry about that poor divil, Patoo-patoo; he was my first convart.  Annyway, I’ll give um full absolution, so that death can’t hurt um sariously, an’ I’ll canonize him as a martyr.  Saint Patoo-patoo!  If that don’t satisfy um, an’ if he ain’t willin’ to die for the extinsion av the faith, he’s no thrue belayver, and desarves no pity.  So jist see to gettin’ um off aisy.”

After another brief period of time, such as periods of time were in these mysterious islands, Father Higgins found himself the acknowledged divinity of the whole archipelago.

“This cannebalism an’ polygamy an’ the like greatly distresses me, however,” he confessed to Heller.  “Be moments I’m timpted to unfold the naked truth, an’ bring these paple square up to the canons of the Church at wanst.  But it ud be risky.  We read av times, ye know, Heller, that God winked at.  No doubt it’s me duty, as a divinity, to go on winkin’ at these polygamies an’ cannebalisms a bit longer.  Slow an’ aisy is me motto, an’ I’ve noticed it’s the way of Providence mostly.  Sure it was so at home in Sableburg, ye know, Heller; we didn’t average a convart in twinty years.”

Now ensued an event which troubled the holy Father more than any thing that had yet occurred during his episcopate.  Two German priests, Heller informed him, had landed on one of the islands of the archipelago, and were preaching the pure doctrines of the Christian faith, denouncing cannibalism and polygamy, and otherwise sapping the established religion.