where the water had cooled somewhat.
There the negro dropped his simple garments, and was soon rolling like a
black porpoise in his warm bath. It was only large enough for one, but
close to it was another small pool big enough for several men. There
Mark and Hockins were soon disporting joyously, while the Secretary
looked on and laughed. Evidently he did not in the circumstances deem
warm water either a necessity or a luxury.

That evening, after returning to camp, Mark was summoned to lay the
result of his labours before the Queen, who was much interested in his
collection of plants, and not a little amused with his collection of
insects; for she could understand the use of the medicines which her
Court Physician assured her could be extracted from the former, but
could see no sense whatever in collecting winged and creeping things,
merely to be stuck on pins and looked at and saddled with
incomprehensible names! She did indeed except the gorgeous butterflies,
and similar creatures, because these were pretty; but on the whole she
felt disposed to regard her physician as rather childish in that
particular taste.

Very different was her opinion of John Hockins. So fond was she of the
flageolet of that musical and stalwart tar that she sent for him almost
every evening and made him pipe away to her until he almost fell asleep
at his duty, so that at last he began to wish that flageolets had never
been invented.

"It's nothin' but blow, blow, blow, day arter day," he growled as he
returned to his tent one night and flung down the little instrument in
disgust. "I wish it had bin blow'd up the time your big Roman candle
busted, doctor."

"If it had been, your influence with the Queen would have been gone,
John."

"Well, I dun-know, sir. Many a queer gale I've come through in time
past, but this blow beats 'em all to sticks an' whistles."

"Nebber mind, 'Ockins," remarked Ebony, who was busy preparing supper at
the time, "we's habbin good times ob it just now. Plenty fun an' lots
ob science! Come--go at your wittles. We've hard work besides fun
before us demorrow."

Ebony was a true prophet in regard to the hard work, but not as to the
fun, of the morrow; for it so happened that two events occurred which
threw a dark cloud over the expedition, for some, at least, in the royal
procession, and induced the Queen to return to the capital sooner than
she had intended.

The first of these events was the disco