blind in one eye, and consequently given to shying. As it was a strong horse, however, Mr. Agnew decided to take it along, but got little satisfaction from it, as it lived only about eleven months after arrival at Inhambane, and then died, at a time when most needed -just before the missionary met with an accident which seriously injured one of his eyes.

CHAPTER XV.

BACK AT KOMENI-ACCIDENTALLY INJURED-CARED FOR

BY MR. AND MRS. RICHARDS.

On returning to Inhambane Mr. Agnew proceeded to Komeni station, where he was again attacked with spells of fever, from which he suffered severely. For several months he was so ill about half the time as to be able to do but little in the way of aggressive missionary work.

His troubles now began to multiply. As previously noted, about eleven months after his return the horse he had secured in Durban died. Soon after this he met with a painful and serious accident, from the injurious effects of which he did not fully recover until he returned to America the following year, and, while at home, had a surgical operation performed for his relief. He received a wound in the corner of his left eye, occasioned by the explosion of a gun he was firing. The accident injured the bone and closed up the tear duct. The surgical operation brought relief, but left the corner of the eye permanently disfigured. His own story of the accident is as follows:

There was an Englishman at Inhambane who wished me to get him some anti-secrecy books. I did so, and he gave me for them two old guns of the Wesley-Richards pattern. He had a supply of them which he retailed to the natives. These guns were old-fashioned breech-loaders, but could also be used as muzzle-loaders. Natives are accustomed to buying old guns, and many are to be seen carrying old flint-locks such as were in use a hundred years ago.

I kept the guns in my possession for some time and discharged them several times. They went off all right, but, being made for breech-loaders, the smoke of the powder would puff out some behind. This did not startle me, as the trader told me that that part of it was entirely harmless. I thought, however, that this could be remedied, and so tinkered at one of them until success crowned my efforts so far that when it was discharged but very little smoke would escape.

At times natives from a distance, not knowing the calling of a missionary, would come to the station wanting to buy guns. One day two men came, and I told them I had none of the kind they wanted (the ordinary muzzle-loaders were sold at £1 apiece), but showed them these two and told them they could have both of them for one pound. As is customary when purchasing a gun they wished to have them fired off to see how they would go. I thereupon put some powder into the one I flattered myself I had made a success of doctoring, and, thinking that the natives might possibly not care about firing off a gun of a different kind than they were accustomed to (natives like to fire off guns, and the traders always allow the purchasers to do the firing), I did not ask them to fire it off, but, feeling perfectly sure that it was all right, I held it carelessly at my side and pulled the trigger. The result was that the gun burst, and a piece of the iron ascending broke the bone below my left eye, and shattered the bone at the eyebrow. For a few minutes I thought my time was come; and, to an old man who was passing, I said: "Nyi ngu hongola ku wona Jesu"-"I am going to see JeHe looked at me in astonishment as the blood was running down my face and the flesh hanging down my nose; and, drawing his chin down on his breast, he turned up his eyes at me, gasped, "Jesu," and, after staring at me a little, passed on.

sus.

In

Of course the natives did not purchase that gun. fact, they went off about as soon as the gun did, and I have never seen them since. One man of fertile imagination, who lived about six hundred miles away, when he heard of the accident concluded that I must have been endeavoring to cheat the natives at the time, and that the accident was a

judgment of God on me for my wickedness! I can only say that such evil suspicions could only originate in a carnal heart, and were prompted by the father of lies. My transactions with the natives were such that I never had to make any restitution afterwards. What confessions I had to makė were made on the spot. I endeavored to live ready for eternity. If a thought of fraud had entered into my mind, I never would have attempted to perpetrate it at Inhambane, where there was "but a step between me and death." Had I been blown to pieces, instead of merely being injured at that time, my soul would have swept through the gates of the New Jerusalem. All through that transaction my intentions were perfectly pure, and, as I look back upon it now, I can only say that from a spiritual stand-point I have nothing to regret. I am glad it was myself that was wounded instead of the native, and to show that at least the natives had no idea that I intended to cheat anyone, I might say that several natives wanted to know what I intended to do to those to whom I had been showing the guns. When I replied that it was not their fault, and that I alone was responsible, they remarked to one another that the aba mfundisi was different from other white men, since other white men would have had the would-be purchasers arrested and punished for being concerned in the affair.

The next day after the accident occurred Mr. Agnew employed men to carry him to Inhambane in a hammock. During the journey of two days he suffered much, especially when, during a portion of the journey made by water, he had to sit in the open boat for hours. Nor was this all. He suffered from mental strain and from temptation as well. Having but little money, and knowing that traders generally had little sympathy for the misfortunes of others, and especially little if any for missionaries, the prospect was anything but cheering; and Satan pressed him hard to murmur against Providence. However, on arrival at Inhambane a great change came over his feelings. The Lord mani