"So you have, Raggy; I had quite forgotten. Go and fetch it."
Raggy was back in less than a minute with a German concertina, which he
had looted from Mahmoud, and which had been intended for King 'Ngaloo.
The effect of Harry's playing on this instrument was magical. There was
a half-frightened silence at first, succeeded by murmurs of delight.
"Lobo! Lobo!! Lobo!!!" cried the king, emphatically, and when Harry
finished he smoothed the back of his hand with one finger, as if he had
been a pet rat, and Harry could have sworn he saw tears in the poor
man's eyes.
"Now, Raggy," cried Harry, striking into a hornpipe, "now for your
breakdown."
Raggy required no second bidding, and I am sure no stage nigger ever
could have gone through one half the capers Raggy did, in that wonderful
breakdown of his.
During the dance the king's face was something to behold and wonder at,
his excitement was intense, and when Raggy finished he had simply to
begin again. So it was "encore" and "encore" till the poor boy fairly
sank on the ground panting from exertion, and the king shouted "Lobo!
Lobo! Lobo! Lobo!"
To change the programme, Harry commenced to sing "Rule Britannia," and
somewhat to his surprise, while the king beat time with his hand on his
knee, several of the amazons joined the chorus and actually followed the
tune.
The amazons after this took chains of flowers and threw over Harry's
head till he was nearly choked.
The concert ended at last and feasting began, and after this the king
was led away and deposited on a couch of leaves and flowers, and at once
went off to sleep.
"And no wonder," said Harry to himself, "for he has picked the bones of
a couple of fowls, and eaten nearly half a goat."
Next morning his majesty was up betimes, and as bright as a lark.
He was full of business. There was Harry's boat to get ready, and also
his own, for he meant to send his guest away in state.
"Ask or me anything," he said to Harry, "and I will give it if you
promise to return."
"I will assuredly return," replied Harry, "if the Great Father spares
me."
"And now, when I think of it, I shall be for ever grateful to you for
your hospitality. Will you add to it by lending me two of your people
to help me as carriers on my march?"
The answer was made in the following way. The king ran rapidly along
the ranks of his amazons, and dragged out two of the sturdiest, whom he
almost flung into Harry's arms.
Harry stepped back laughing.
"Oh, no, your majesty," he said, "not the ladies, please."
"Lobo! Lobo!" said his majesty.
The boat in which Harry and his companions embarked for the distant
eastern shore, was bedded with beautiful flowers, and when he bade the
king goodbye on the shore he took away with him three sturdy islanders
to act as guides, and to help to carry his guns and packages.
These last contained a supply of rice sufficient to last the little
expedition for many months.
When he reached the hill-top and looked back, lo! there on the beach
still stood the honest king. Once more adieus were waved; then Harry
and his people went down over the mountain side, and bore away to the
West.
It was when in bivouac that night, halfway up a hill, with the moon and
stars shining in a clear blue sky and brilliantly reflected in a little
lake down beneath, that Harry remembered that all the time he had been a
guest of the island king, he had never spoken to either him or his
people of the good tidings of the Gospel.
He felt his face burn red as he thought of his neglect. But he vowed to
himself that if spared to return he would try to make amends for such
thoughtlessness.
"You should sow good seed when you can," something seemed to whisper to
Harry; "the ground may be rough, the soil may be hard, but _good seed
often makes good soil for itself_."
Book 4--CHAPTER ONE.