“Certainly I will come; the pole is heavy for one man to carry, and where Hokosa goes, there I can go also.”

“Nay, nay, Messenger,” said the king, “the lightning knows Hokosa and will turn from him, but you are a stranger to it and it will eat you up.”

“King,” answered Owen, “I do not believe that Hokosa has any power over the lightning.  It may strike him or it may strike me; but unless my God so commands, it will strike neither of us.”

“On your head be it, White Man,” said Hokosa, with cold anger.  “Come, aid me with the pole.”

Then they lifted the dead tree, and between them carried it into the middle of the plain, where they set it up in a crevice of the rock.  By this time the storm was almost over them, and watching it Owen perceived that the lightnings struck always along the bank of the stream, doubtless following a hidden line of the bed of ironstone.

“It is but a very little storm,” said Hokosa contemptuously, “such as visit us almost every afternoon at this period of the year.  Ah!  White Man, I would that you could see one of our great tempests, for these are worth beholding.  This I fear, however, that you will never do, seeing it is likely that within some few minutes you will have passed back to that King who sent you here, with a hole in your head and a black mark down your spine.”

“That we shall learn presently, Hokosa,” answered Owen; “for my part, I pray that no such fate may overtake you.”

Now Hokosa moved himself away, muttering and pointing with his fingers, but Owen remained standing within about thirty yards of the pole.  Suddenly there came a glare of light, and the pole was split into fragments; but although the shock was perceptible, they remained unhurt.  Almost immediately a second flash leaped from the cloud, and Owen saw Hokosa stagger and fall to his knees.  “The man is struck,” he thought to himself, but it was not so, for recovering his balance, the wizard walked back to the stream.

Owen never stirred.  From boyhood courage had been one of his good qualities, but it was a courage of the spirit rather than of the flesh.  For instance, at this very moment, so far as his body was concerned, he was much afraid, and did not in the least enjoy standing upon an ironstone plateau at the imminent risk of being destroyed by lightning.  But even if he had not had an end to gain, he would have scorned to give way to his human frailties; also, now as always, his faith supported him.  As it happened the storm, which was slight, passed by, and no more flashes fell.  When it was over he walked back to where the king and his court were standing.

“Messenger,” said Umsuka, “you are not only a great doctor, you are also a brave man, and such I honour.  There is no one among us here, not being a lord of the lightning, who would have dared to stand upon that place with Hokosa while the flashes fell about him.  Yet you have done it; it was Hokosa who was driven away.  You have passed the trial by fire, and henceforth, whether we refuse your message or accept it, you are great in this land.”