FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
hich they set down before each of the guests. Others then brought in wooden platters, huge pieces of beef, large masses of which an attendant cut off with an assegai, and handed to the king, who munched away at them with infinite satisfaction. The guests were desired to help themselves with their knives which they carried in their belts. There were, in addition, baskets of mealy cakes, which Percy declared were more to the purpose than the tough half-roasted beef. The king every now and then looked round the circle, exclaiming, "Eat! eat!" The guests did their utmost, but were very soon satisfied. "Pray tell him that I can do no more," said Crawford. "This hot day I should prefer some cold lamb and a salad, but this coarse beef beats me." Hendricks apologised as best he could. "Tell them to drink, then," said the king, "if they cannot eat. The beer will slip down without any difficulty. Don't you like beer?" asked the king, when he saw that after taking a few mouthfuls they stopped. "Pray tell him that we like beer in moderation, but shall never be able to finish off one of these bowls," exclaimed Crawford. Hendricks assured the king that his young companions were anxious to please him; but that Englishmen's insides were not of the same magnificent capacity as His Majesty's, and that therefore it would be impossible for them to do as he desired. A frown gathered on the king's brow. "Drink, I say, drink! They must drink," he exclaimed. "Tell the king that I'll see him at Jericho first," said Denis; an observation which set Percy off laughing. "Command yourselves, lads," said Hendricks, turning to them. "This may become no laughing matter. Although you cannot drink, and I don't wish you to do so, you must show the king that you desire to please him." "Sure I'll do that," said Denis, putting the bowl to his mouth, and pretending to swallow a huge draught, and then placed it on the ground and gasped for breath. "Please tell His Majesty, that unless he wishes to kill me, he'll let me off this time," cried the irrepressible young Irishman. "Poor Percy and Lionel will burst outright if they have to swallow this stuff." "That I shall," exclaimed Percy. "I'll not swallow another drop to please him or all the nigger kings in Africa." Lionel did not venture to make any remark, but looked as resolute as the rest not to turn himself into a beer barrel. Hendricks began to wish heartily that he
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Hendricks
 

swallow

 

guests

 

exclaimed

 

looked

 
laughing
 
Crawford
 

Lionel

 
desired
 

Majesty


Command

 

capacity

 
magnificent
 

observation

 
turning
 

Jericho

 
impossible
 
gathered
 

nigger

 

outright


Africa

 

barrel

 

heartily

 

venture

 

remark

 

resolute

 

Irishman

 

irrepressible

 

desire

 

putting


pretending

 
matter
 

Although

 

draught

 

wishes

 
ground
 

gasped

 
breath
 

Please

 
baskets

declared
 

addition

 
knives
 
carried
 

purpose

 

circle

 
exclaiming
 

roasted

 
wooden
 

platters