. Thus, unwittingly, he escaped jealousy
and enmity in a palace where both were rife, and, holding in his hands
as he did, the power to alleviate many of the "ills that flesh is heir
to," he secured a good deal of warm friendship.

Being also an ingenious youth, he devised many little plans for amusing
Ranavalona and preventing her mind from dwelling on dangerous memories.
Among other things, he induced her to go in for a series of garden
parties, and encouraged the people to practise their national games at
these gatherings in a systematic way.

What all this was ultimately to lead to he did not know--indeed at first
he had no particular end in view save the great one of preventing the
Queen from ordering any more of the horrible scenes of bloodshed which
he and his friends had so recently witnessed. But as time ran on his
ideas became more definite and concentrated. It occurred to him that
Ravonino would inevitably venture to attend the garden parties in the
hope of again meeting Rafaravavy, and now that the Secretary had avowed
himself on the side of the Christians, he felt that through him he might
influence her to agree to her lover's proposal.

Then his plan to effect the rescue of Mamba was gradually matured.

"Ebony," he exclaimed, suddenly, one afternoon when sitting at his table
preparing some villainous compound for the Queen, "go down to the
laboratory, boy, and fetch me some gunpowder, sulphur, saltpetre, and
charcoal."

Mark's laboratory, by the way, contained not only the medicines which
chanced to be in the capital at that time, but also a vast collection of
miscellaneous articles and substances which, in the opinion of palace
officials, could be classed, however remotely, with "doctor's stuffs."

"Them stuffs," remarked Hockins, who sat luxuriously in an arm-chair
smoking a short pipe--for he had unfortunately obtained tobacco since
arriving at the capital!--"Them stuffs are apt to cause surprisin'
effects w'en properly mixed."

"Just so. That is my reason for sending for them. I shall create some
surprising effects if my old cunning in pyrotechny has not forsaken me.
When I was a school-boy, you must know, I was fond of dabbling in
fireworks, and it strikes me that I could compound some things that
would charm the Queen and astonish the natives."

"Massa," asked Ebony, powerful surprise expressed in his sable visage,
while Mark spooned large quantities of the ingredients referred to into