you
can have it for supper."

"And if you miss it," said Stedman, gloomily, "Messenwah may have us
for supper."

The Hillmen had seated themselves a hundred yards off, while the leaders
were debating, and they now rose curiously and watched Bradley, as he
sank upon one knee, and covered the goat with his rifle. When it was
about one hundred and fifty yards off, he fired, and the goat fell over
dead.

And then all the Hillmen, with the King himself, broke away on a run,
towards the dead animal, with much shouting. The King came back alone,
leaving his people standing about and examining the goat. He was much
excited, and talked and gesticulated violently.

"He says--" said Stedman; "he says--"

"What? yes; go on."

"He says--goodness me!--what do you think he says?"

"Well, what does he say?" cried Gordon, in great excitement. "Don't keep
it all to yourself."

"He says," said Stedman, "that we are deceived. That he is no longer
King of the Island of Opeki, that he is in great fear of us, and that he
has got himself into no end of trouble. He says he sees that we are
indeed mighty men, that to us he is as helpless as the wild boar before
the javelin of the hunter."

"Well, he's right," said Gordon. "Go on."

"But that which we ask is no longer his to give. He has sold his
kingship and his right to this island to another king, who came to him
two days ago in a great canoe, and who made noises as we do,--with guns,
I suppose he means,--and to whom he sold the island for a watch that he
has in a bag around his neck. And that he signed a paper, and made marks
on a piece of bark, to show that he gave up the island freely and
forever."

"What does he mean?" said Gordon. "How can he give up the island?
Ollypybus is the king of half of it, anyway, and he knows it."

"That's just it," said Stedman. "That's what frightens him. He said he
didn't care about Ollypybus, and didn't count him in when he made the
treaty, because he is such a peaceful chap that he knew he could thrash
him into doing anything he wanted him to do. And now that you have
turned up and taken Ollypybus's part, he wishes he hadn't sold the
island, and wishes to know if you are angry."

"Angry? of course I'm angry," said Gordon, glaring as grimly at the
frightened monarch as he thought was safe. "Who wouldn't be angry? Who
do you think these people were who made a fool of him, Stedman? Ask him
to let us see this watch."

Stedman did so, and th