her from the men of the elephant country. If Wettin lived you
would be well treated, but Buckingham has taken me now, and is king.
You can hope for nothing from such a beast as Buckingham."

The fact that Buckingham stood within a pace of us and was an
interested listener appeared not to temper her expressions in the
slightest.

"Buckingham is a pig," she continued. "He is a coward. He came upon
Wettin from behind and ran his spear through him. He will not be king
for long. Some one will make a face at him, and he will run away and
jump into the river."

The people began to titter and clap their hands. Buckingham became red
in the face. It was evident that he was far from popular.

"If he dared," went on the old lady, "he would kill me now, but he does
not dare. He is too great a coward. If I could help you I should
gladly do so. But I am only queen--the vehicle that has helped carry
down, unsullied, the royal blood from the days when Grabritin was a
mighty country."

The old queen's words had a noticeable effect upon the mob of curious
savages which surrounded me. The moment they discovered that the old
queen was friendly to me and that I had rescued her daughter they
commenced to accord me a more friendly interest, and I heard many words
spoken in my behalf, and demands were made that I not be harmed.

But now Buckingham interfered. He had no intention of being robbed of
his prey. Blustering and storming, he ordered the people back to their
huts, at the same time directing two of his warriors to confine me in a
dugout in one of the trenches close to his own shelter.

Here they threw me upon the ground, binding my ankles together and
trussing them up to my wrists behind. There they left me, lying upon
my stomach--a most uncomfortable and strained position, to which was
added the pain where the cords cut into my flesh.

Just a few days ago my mind had been filled with the anticipation of
the friendly welcome I should find among the cultured Englishmen of
London. Today I should be sitting in the place of honor at the banquet
board of one of London's most exclusive clubs, feted and lionized.

The actuality! Here I lay, bound hand and foot, doubtless almost upon
the very site of a part of ancient London, yet all about me was a
primeval wilderness, and I was a captive of half-naked wild men.

I wondered what had become of Delcarte and Taylor and Snider. Would
they search for me? They could neve