hat I had made it my headquarters,
they bolted. As I had no wish to have them prying into my proceedings,
I charged the king to keep them until my return, as I was on the point
of starting up the country on a trading expedition."

"That of course accounts for our being kept here," exclaimed Charley.

From the description of the men given by Captain Roderick we had no
doubt that they were the two pirates who had escaped when we were
recaptured.

"Now, Captain Roderick," said Charley, "if you will facilitate our
return to the coast, we will report favourably of the service you have
rendered us, and it may be of some use to you should you ever wish to go
back to England and any accusation be brought against you."

"As to that, sir, I have no intention of ever returning to my native
land," answered the captain in a gloomy tone, "but as I have no grudge
against you, I will help you to make your escape, although the rascal
who calls himself king here is an eccentric character, and it may not be
so easy as you suppose. He gets drunk for six days in the week whenever
palm-wine is to be procured, and the seventh amuses himself by cutting
off the heads of his faithful subjects and playing other vagaries.
Still I have taught him to respect me, and as I have been the means of
supplying his treasury, I do not doubt but that he will be ready to do
what I ask him in the hopes of retaining my services. I now intend, if
he is not too drunk, to rouse him up and tell him to supply you with a
better house, and ample food, and a supply of water that you may wash
yourselves, for you look remarkably dirty."

This I have no doubt we did. Charley thanked the captain in the name of
us all. Captain Roderick then told us to remain in the prison while he
went on to the king and obtained our release in a formal manner; it
would be better, he said, than running the risk of offending the king,
who would probably be displeased should we walk out without his
permission.

We accordingly returned and sat ourselves down to wait the arrival of
the pirate captain and the king's officers. Strange to say, all this
time Captain Roderick had not recognised Harry, nor had he me as the
clerk who had overheard the accusation brought against him by Captain
Magor. Perhaps had he done so his conduct might have been different.
We were all getting very hungry, having eaten nothing since noon the
previous day; we were also becoming more and more impatient, w