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186
YOUNG MEN
OF”
GREAT: BRITAIN:
As the weapon swiftly cleft the air and
cleaving the earth stood quivering like a live
thing, he could not repress a cry of- affright, and
stood pale and trembling.
He did not know what might be the instant
penalty the enraged king might exact of him.
And, without doubt, had it not been for the
booming of the signal guns, it would have gone
hard with Dangam. Swift as one event succeeded
the other, there was yet time between for the
malicious hunchback to ring a loud peal on his
Zaga bells, and screech aloud in his harsh
voice.
“See!see! he mocks the gods! They know
him not! The god he is priest of lives not higher
than the top of the witch tree!’ Let his be the
fate ore mocker and insulter: of the true: Rain-
But this was: no time to debate the fate of a
rain-priest.,
Prompt of action as ‘he eyer was, Balak ordered
an instant.return to his palace.
“To-morrow: I may, have: much to say.to thee
of this strange business,” he: “whispered. to, Dan-
gam. ‘Thou wilt return with. us.”
Not as the king’s companion, and riding with
him in his sedan, “however.
At.a signal of the king’s, the royal body- guard
closed about the carriage, encircling it and: the
’ bewildered. adventurer;, whose. place was, im-
mediately in the rear of. the sedan.’
So at quick march they returned. towards the
palace, the multitude swarming- down, the hill-
side, and joining the > procession L just as they had
done in its settin;
g-ou
AlLleft the dread shot but. Oban... More: thar \
ever it; was, incumbent on him. to stick: to, his
post..
As to: why, or: wherefore one of: his “ tigers”
had been let loose was not.his immediate concern,
though maybe within his own: shrewd: mind: he
had a tolerably correct: idea of how the. mischief
bad been wrought.
His important office was to provide: against
the “tiger’s” escape.
He did not dare touch it, but he immediately
set about making preparations for its safety;
While the trampling fect of the host died
- away in, the distance, the poor, solitary old
savage was busying himself till the perspiration
poured off him, in planting a tiny ring fence of
reeds ‘round the ‘taper house of: the’ imp of
~-Rebellion, and’ hanging to the top of every. reed
a little clay pot‘of fire. '
. This done, he lighted a fire of resinous splints,
and when a fierce’ white crackling blaze was
created, he climbed the pole, at the top of which
his cage was, and brought.out therefrom a pair
of pincers of tude “make with - long tapering
handles,
These he thrust’ into the fire and held them
there until the nipping parts of them were red-
Then first. uttering. a..prayer for his own
safety over the tremendous feat he was about to
perform, with a’ firm’ grasp he took the haft of
the spear between the red-hot’ pincers, and drew
it out of the ground, :
e damp wood’ smoked’ and hissed as an
angry snake might, and - Oban grinned and
pinched it the tighter,
To his superstitious ears the hissing was the
voice of the agonised imp.
Still holding the hatcful spear at arm’s length
in his red-hot } pincers, Oban quickly mounted his
bamboo ladder, ‘and in two minutes the “imp
house” in which the evil spirit of Bald’ Ham-
* mitz lived was swinging securely, from’ its
copper chain, ae .
palm” possessed by the young stranger, he
had, after hurried consultation with such of his
colleagues as happened to be present, conveyed
the lad away out of sight of the rest.
As a chief captain, Piaritz had set apart for
his private use a spacious apartment, which
served both as an abode for his family, and as
an armoury for the weapons of. the men
immediately under his command.
He had quite made up his mind, despite the
strange ceremony of fealty that the warrior had
used.towards him, that his death was resolved
mn. :
To the lad’s speechless astonishment, however,
no sooner had Piaritz entered this place, which
was untenanted, and carefully secured the heavy
mat that hung before the doorway, than he once
more commenced his protestations of: devotion.
“Prostrating himself. flat.-to. the: earth,’ he |.
embraced:Paul’s feet, while tears streamed down
his furrowed cheeks, and though in his excite-
ment he spoke-a; language of which the lad
understood not’ a. word, it was evident. to him
that. he was imploring: forgiveness: for the
behaviour he had been: betrayed into. observing
towards one so mighty.
Finding that.at least for the present no harm
was intended: him, Paul’s fears yielded’ to pity
for the grey-haired veteran,
Laying a hand on his shoulder he endeavoured
to assist. him to rise, but, to the lad’s astonish-
ment, this seemed only: to. afflict. Piaritz. the
more. :
He shrunk from. Paul’s touch as:though. the
“broad hand.” were red-hot:and‘burnt him.
“T can do: you.no harm, pray do not hurt
me !”’ Paul exclaimed,
This seemed to remind the old warrior of the
language he should speak if he wished the young
stranger to comprehend him,
But. he.was a poor master. of. English.
"As. before stated, he knew.no more of it than
he had picked: up: in his traffic with the slave
captains on the river.
“No; noharm!” hercturned, in an awful whis-
per, “ all great, mighty good! But one king
there is. You have strange tongue, but de king
hand !, No hide from Piaritz, he see de hand
and he know !. Now ole Calabar wake and laugh
glad!. True king come!: Who say no?”
And the veteran, with his eyes flashing, leapt
to his feet, with. his grim old head reared de-
fiantly, “Dey ery yes !” and with a sweep of his
hand he indicated the array of spears and. mus-
kets ranged about the wall, “ Dey roar yes! So
loud, Balak shake!”
Then, trembling with excitement, he turned
from the bewildered lad. and, hurrying to a part
of the place where such things were kept, he
presently returned with a calabash filled with
clear water, but in which some _ fragrant scent
had been poured.
Along with this he’ brought also a white cloth
of exquisite fineness, together. with a mat with a
silk fringe.
Spreading the latter on. the ground, he mo-
tioned Paul to sit down, and then, with a re-
verend hand, he commenced to bathe Paul’s feet,
which, owing to his long trudging on the miry.
road, were not of the cleanest. -
He knelt ‘at his lowly task, and executed it
with as much tenderness. as ‘though the lad’s
feet were of a precious,material that might be
damaged with .a rough touch, and dried them
with the white cloth. ‘
' Then he fetched.a pair of sandals , delicately
wrought with silk and gold thread, and placed | |
them « on the lad’s feet.
“Then he carried away the calabash, and re-
a turned with more scented water.
; CHAPTER XI.
PIARITZ DOES HOMAGE TO. THE YOUNG KING
OF THE BROAD, ‘ PALM—ASSEMBLING OF. THE
CONSPIRATORS,
MEaANWwinILE there! was “strange commotion. at
the palace, which, as has been shown, was ‘at
once a royal tesidence, and an arsenal, anda
barracks...
Paul was the pivot! on which the said’ com.
motion turned. .
As has been, seen,” soon as Piaritz made the
astounding discovery of the miraculous “broad
~ This was for the lad’s hands ; but Piaritz dare
not touch these. . The Broad palms of the Cala-
bese Kings were sacred, and unless by his ma-
jesty’s. gracious permission ‘to do so, to bring
a valgar hand in contact with them was ac-
counted an act of sacrilege meriting death,
"It was supposed that, to touch the broad palm
with anything less sacred, was to extract from
its virtue,
In the old time a common punishment was
to case the hands and arms of'an offender ina
‘| wooden box-like covering, and turn him, in that
helpless condition, adrift, no man being allowed
to assist the unlucky wretch, who could not even
eat unless he bent his face to the ground like 2
beast of the field.
With amuch inferior opinion, however, of his
clumsy-looking, though curiously strong hands,
than that entertained for them by his strange
companion, Paul performed for them that service
of which they stood in considerable need, and
conferred a like favour on his face. °
What would be the next act in the perform-
ance’ he was very anxious to know.
Of Piaritz’s enthusiastic speech concerning
the “king’s hand,” he could make nothing ; but
by nature he was anything but a coward, and
now that his alarms were somewhat quieted, his
curiosity and wonder momentarily increased.
He had not to long to wait ere he was made
aware of the next feature of Piaritz’s pro-
gramme.
On one side of the apartment there was a
screened chamber, and retiring thither for a few
moments the grim old warrior presently returned,
bearing in one hand a robe similar, as regards
richness of. material, to that which. King Balak
wore, and in the other two. pairs of broad rings.
of beaten gold ornamented with jewels.
» These. were armlets and anklets; and _ first
begging permission, he adorned.the limbs: of. the
amazed Paul with them,, at’ the same-time re-
spectfully inviting him. to release his shoulders of
thetattcred jacket and substitute the embroidered:
robe,
' These preparations accomplished he-once more;
made him a low obeisance and retired from tho:
apartment, with an intimation that he would soon:
‘| return,
As may be easily understood Paul was in the last:
degree amazed at the sudden and exciting change
that had taken: place in his present. position,
and, as far as might. be. judged,.in. his. future .
prospects.
What had wrought the amazing differences he
was quite at a loss to divine.
From the disjointed and almost unintelligible
remarks the old warrior had made on the matter
it seemed beyond a doubt that the deformity of
his hands had much to do with it ; but certainly
not in the way that his step-father had insinuated.
“Hide them cursed paws of yours, your life
depends on it 1”. were:Dan’s words ; and knowing
the man, Paul had'no doubt that he had uttered
them in all earnestness.
It did not seem that his life: was in danger at
all events.
It was searcely likely that he would be adorned
with handsome raiment. and “golden ornaments
that he might make a prettier spectacle in the
hands of the executioner. ,
So far, then, it seemed that Dan Tas | wrong.
And if in this. particular, why not in others?
To be sure he looked full of confidence, when,
he last saw him, and he was on. terms of: friend-,
ship with the king. , Still poor Dan. might, havo,
miscalculated in some way. .
Even at the moment, while he,. Paul, w as,
being richly clothed'and made much of, his step->
father,’ who, after all, was.a teal ‘brave, fellow, ,
might be in disgrace. - Might,” perhaps, _be
dead! ,
And as he came to this melancholy ‘conclusion,
Paul, who. had’ no tears to shed’ on‘ his own ac-*
count, felt his eyes fill, and a trickling, down his: :
cheek.
His cogitations awere presently disturbed, how:
eyer, by a sudden movement of; the drapery. of .
.| hides that hung before the entry, and Piaritz |
again made his appearance,
He came alone.. '
“He did not secure the heavy curtains of skins
however, that’ served as a door. a
On the. contrary, he loosed the. thong that
held‘them together in the middle, so that they.
hung quite free, and might be passed easily.
Presently the trusty ones with whom the grey-,
headed, old warrior . had so hurriedly consulted,
began to arrive.
Not in a mob, but stealthily and in ones ‘and’
twos, eyery. man “slipping i in swiftly and slyly as.
though engaged in a business. over which it was”
desirable to observe the strictest secresy.
Good use must Piaritz have made of the few
minutes he was absent from Paul. ’. Passing:in,
in the manner described, came atleast a hun-,
dred: men, all of the same determined face and”
military bearing.