??™ He sinks his
head upon his great fur cloak for a minute
and thinks. ???King,??™ says he, ???be you man
or god or devil, I??™ll stick by you to-day. I
have twenty of my men with me, and they
will follow me. We??™ll go to Bashkai until
the storm blows over.??™
???A little snow had fallen in the night, and
everything was white except the greasy fat
clouds that blew down and down from the
north. Dravot came out with his crown
on his head, swinging his arms and stamping
his feet, and looking more pleased than
Punch.
??????For the last time, drop it, Dan,??™ says I
in a whisper. ???Billy Fish here says that
there will be a row.??™
??????A row among my people!??™ says Dravot.
???Not much. Peachy, you??™re a fool not to
get a wife too. Where??™s the girl???™ says he
with a voice as loud as the braying of a
jackass. ???Call up all the Chiefs and priests,
and let the Emperor see if his wife suits him.??™
???There was no need to call any one. They
were all there leaning on their guns and
spears round the clearing in the centre of
the pine wood. A deputation of priests went
down to the little temple to bring up the
girl, and the horns blew up fit to wake the
dead. Billy Fish saunters round and gets
as close to Daniel as he could, and behind
him stood his twenty men with matchlocks.
Not a man of them under six feet. I was
next to Dravot, and behind me was twenty
men of the regular Army. Up comes the
girl, and a strapping wench she was, covered
with silver and turquoises but white as death,
and looking back every minute at the priests.
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