y dear, this is my surprise. _Are_ you surprised,
Daddy?'

'Very,' said Tegumai; 'but it has ruined all my fishing for the day.
Why, the whole dear, kind, nice, clean, quiet Tribe is here, Taffy.'

And so they were. First of all walked Teshumai Tewindrow and the
Neolithic ladies, tightly holding on to the Stranger-man, whose hair was
full of mud (although he was a Tewara). Behind them came the Head Chief,
the Vice-Chief, the Deputy and Assistant Chiefs (all armed to the upper
teeth), the Hetmans and Heads of Hundreds, Platoffs with their Platoons,
and Dolmans with their Detachments; Woons, Neguses, and Akhoonds ranking
in the rear (still armed to the teeth). Behind them was the Tribe in
hierarchical order, from owners of four caves (one for each season), a
private reindeer-run, and two salmon-leaps, to feudal and prognathous
Villeins, semi-entitled to half a bearskin of winter nights, seven yards
from the fire, and adscript serfs, holding the reversion of a scraped
marrow-bone under heriot (Aren't those beautiful words, Best Beloved?).
They were all there, prancing and shouting, and they frightened every
fish for twenty miles, and Tegumai thanked them in a fluid Neolithic
oration.

Then Teshumai Tewindrow ran down and kissed and hugged Taffy very much
indeed; but the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai took Tegumai by the
top-knot feathers and shook him severely.

'Explain! Explain! Explain!' cried all the Tribe of Tegumai.

'Goodness' sakes alive!' said Tegumai. 'Let go of my top-knot. Can't a
man break his carp-spear without the whole countryside descending on
him? You're a very interfering people.'

'I don't believe you've brought my Daddy's black-handled spear after
all,' said Taffy. 'And what _are_ you doing to my nice Stranger-man?'

They were thumping him by twos and threes and tens till his eyes turned
round and round. He could only gasp and point at Taffy.

'Where are the bad people who speared you, my darling?' said Teshumai
Tewindrow.

'There weren't any,' said Tegumai. 'My only visitor this morning was the
poor fellow that you are trying to choke. Aren't you well, or are you
ill, O Tribe of Tegumai?'

'He came with a horrible picture,' said the Head Chief,--'a picture that
showed you were full of spears.'

'Er--um--Pr'aps I'd better 'splain that I gave him that picture,' said
Taffy, but she did not feel quite comfy.

'You!' said the Tribe of Tegumai all together.
'Small-person-with-no-manners-w