or I
would rather be alone with these black fellows than herding with white
men. Let me advise you to remain in your house at present, until I have
time to talk with the king, who is at present too drunk to understand
me. I cannot promise that you will immediately obtain leave to go, or
be furnished with a canoe for the purpose, but it will not be my fault
if, in the meantime, you are not well treated."

As we agreed that it would be wise to follow the pirate's advice, we
re-entered our house, intending to remain there until summoned by him to
pay our respects to the king, when his majesty had recovered
sufficiently to give us an audience. Behind the house was a garden of
sufficient size to enable us to enjoy some fresh air under the trees
without the risk of being molested by the natives.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE KING PROPOSES TO SEND US OUT ON A HUNTING EXPEDITION--CAPTAIN
RODERICK RECOGNISES HARRY AND ME IN OUR TRUE CHARACTERS--THE START FOR
THE CHASE--A PLEASANT SURPRISE--WE MEET PRINCE KENDO WHO HAS COMMAND OF
THE PARTY--A SUCCESSFUL DAY--CHARLEY AS A HUNTER--THE RETURN--CAPTAIN
RODERICK'S MYSTERIOUS WARNING--HIS SORROW AT HIS OWN WASTED LIFE--THE
LOSS OF GROWLER--ILLNESS OF THE QUEEN--THE WITCH-DOCTOR SENT FOR--WE ARE
AGAIN FORCED TO GO HUNTING--STRANGE ARRIVAL IN CAMP OF THE TWO PIRATES--
A DANGEROUS MAN--MURDER OF CAPTAIN RODERICK--EFFECT OF HIS DEATH ON THE
BLACKS--THE SOLITARY GRAVE--CONTINUATION OF THE HUNT--ENCOUNTER WITH A
WILD MAN OF THE WOODS--RETURN TO THE VILLAGE WITH A QUANTITY OF GAME.

We had now been six months in Africa, and, wonderful to relate, none of
us had been ill or even hurt, with the exception of Tom. We, however,
often felt sad, not on our own account, but on that of the loved ones at
home, who, we knew, would be suffering intense anxiety about us, even if
they did not suppose that we had lost our lives. As Tom remarked, we
knew very well where we were and what we hoped to be able to do, but
those at home knew nothing, but that ship after ship arrived and no
tidings of us reached them.

A thick, black wall, as it were, intervened between them and us, through
which their loving eyes could not penetrate. How we longed for some
bird of rapid wing to carry home a message for us.

Captain Roderick did not come near us for the remainder of the day. The
following morning, however, he appeared, saying that the king would not
hear of our going away, as he wanted to employ us for el