“No, not the whole island,” promptly replied the chief. “Pupuakea will soon join us with three thousand spears or more, and it will not be long that Lono will lack warriors.”
“You are right,” returned the king, hopefully; “we will find spears and axes enough in the end to clear a way to Kohala.”
Kaikilani joined Lono in thanking her nephew for his timely assistance, and Iwikauikaua retired to find quarters for his followers and arouse others to the defence of the king.
The appearance of the young chief with his few hundreds of warriors was indeed most opportune. It inspired the people with confidence in the success of Lono, and they began to rally to his support in large numbers; and, observing that the tide was turning in his favor, the neighboring chiefs came to his assistance with their followers, thus swelling his force within three days to as many thousands of warriors of all arms.
Hastily organizing his little army, Lono boldly pushed on toward Kohala, steadily recruiting his ranks as he moved, and at Puuanahulu was joined by Pupuakea with nearly three thousand additional spears from Kau. Thus enabled to operate on the offensive, he attacked and defeated the rebel army at Wailea, and again at Puako, or at some point not far north of that place.
After the second engagement the rebels retreated northward, and, receiving reinforcements from Kohala, made another stand at Puupa, where they were again defeated, but through some mishap Iwikauikaua was taken prisoner. They then fell back to Puukohola, near which place a large heiau was maintained at that time. There Kanaloa-kakulehu, one of the brothers of Lono, resolved to sacrifice the distinguished prisoner.
Iwikauikaua received the announcement stoically. He was conducted to the altar within the heiau. The assistants were in readiness to take him beyond the walls for execution, and the priests were in attendance to offer the sacrifice in due form to Kanaloa-kakulehu’s god of war. Ascending the steps of the altar, the young chief turned to the high-priest and said:
“I am ready, but it is not the will of the gods that I should be offered.”
“What know you of the will of the gods?” answered the priest, sternly.
“And what know you,” returned the chief, “since you have not inquired?”