I know not what occurred during the next five minutes. All I could
remember with anything like distinctness was a succession of violent
screams from the little old woman, who fled shouting thieves and murder
at the full pitch of her voice. We never saw that old woman again, but
I made a point of returning her umbrella to the "white house."
Gradually we became collected and sane.
"Why, Jack, how did you find us out?" cried Peterkin, as we all hurried
on to my lodgings, totally forgetful of the little old woman, whom, as I
have said, we never saw again, but who, I sincerely trust, arrived at
the white house in safety.
"Find you out! I knew you the moment I set eyes on you. Ralph puzzled
me for a second, he has grown so much stouter; but I should know your
nose, Peterkin, at a mile off."
"Well, Jack, I did not know you," retorted Peterkin, "but I'm safe never
again to forget you. Such a great hairy Cossack as you have become!
Why, what do you mean by it?"
"I couldn't help it, please," pleaded Jack; "I grew in spite of myself;
but I think I've stopped now."
"It's time," remarked Peterkin.
Jack had indeed grown to a size that men seldom attain to without losing
in grace infinitely more than they gain in bulk, but he had retained all
the elegance of form and sturdy vigour of action that had characterised
him as a boy. He was fully six feet two inches in his stockings, but so
perfect were his proportions that his great height did not become
apparent until you came close up to him. Full half of his handsome
manly face was hid by a bushy black beard and moustache, and his curly
hair had been allowed to grow luxuriantly, so that his whole aspect was
more like to the descriptions we have of one of the old Scandinavian
Vikings than a gentleman of the present time. In whatever company he
chanced to be he towered high above every one else, and I am satisfied
that, had he walked down Whitechapel, the Horse Guards would have
appeared small beside him, for he possessed not only great length of
limb but immense breadth of chest and shoulders.
During our walk to my lodgings Peterkin hurriedly stated his "plan and
proposal," which caused Jack to laugh very much at first, but in a few
minutes he became grave, and said slowly, "That will just suit--it will
do exactly."
"What will do exactly? Do be more explicit, man," said Peterkin, with
some impatience.
"I'll go with you, my boy."
"Will you?" cried Peterkin, seizing his hand and shaking it violently;
"I knew you would. I said it; didn't I, Ralph? And now we shall be
sure of a gorilla, if there's one in Africa, for I'll use you as a
stalking-horse."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Jack.
"Yes; I'll put a bear-skin or some sort of fur on your shoulders, and
tie a lady's boa to you for a tail, and send you into the woods. The
gorillas will be sure to mistake you for a relative until you get quite
close; then you'll take one pace to the left with the left foot (as the
volunteers say), I'll take one to the front with the right--at fifty
yards, ready--present--bang, and down goes the huge puggy with a bullet
right between its two eyes! There. And Ralph's agreed to go too."
"O Peterkin, I've done nothing of the sort. You _proposed_ it."
"Well, and isn't that the same thing? I wonder, Ralph that you can give
way to such mean-spirited prevarication. What? `It's not
prevarication!' Don't say that now; you know it is. Ah! you may laugh,
my boy, but you have promised to go with me and Jack to Africa, and go
you shall."
And so, reader, it was ultimately settled, and in the course of two
weeks more we three were on our way to the land of the slave, the black
savage, and the gorilla.