I represented the impossibility of my yielding to their wishes. It was my determination to set sail again that very evening; consequently there was no leisure for us to quit the shore. While I was talking, I made my people unfold to the view of the savages some specimens of my wares—glass beads and trinkets, bottles and bright caldrons, and some parti-coloured stuffs. These proved too much for their cupidity, and unable to stand out any longer, and convinced of my inflexible purpose of remaining where I was, they hurried off to fetch their own commodities.
Rough and brutal in their manners, they haggled over every item; and whenever they saw anything that especially attracted their fancy, they tried to snatch it from our hands; or, if small enough, they would endeavour slyly to pilfer it; but we kept a sharp look-out, and as fast as I completed my purchases, I despatched them either to the Dagon or to my own ship. The throng of the Siculians gradually grew larger and larger, and in proportion as their numbers increased, their demands became more and more encroaching; so much so, that fearing some outbreak of violence, I thought it prudent to send for Chamai, Bichri, Himilco, and a score of men to supplement my body-guard.
All at once, Gisgo, who had been sitting quietly on the beach watching the proceedings, started to his feet, and touching Himilco's shoulder, drew his attention to a sudden stir that had begun amongst the Siculians in the rear. Following with my eye the direction of his finger, I perceived in a moment that some king or chief was passing through the throng, which was falling back to allow him a passage. Before him was carried a number of rods, all painted red, and ornamented with coral, mother-of-pearl, and other glittering substances. From the end of the longest of these rods dangled some ill-defined objects, which to my unpractised eye looked like nothing so much as strings of faded leaves. But Gisgo was better informed.
Pointing to the rods, and with a voice almost choked with excitement, he said:
"Captain, there are my ears!"
"Your ears! What do you mean?"
"There, there! on that stick! strung together! I know what they are well enough."
And he muttered to himself: "A man knows his own ears."
It was all in vain that I strained my eyes to see which of the shapeless and withered cartilages Gisgo maintained were his: I could make out nothing to distinguish one pair of ears from another.
"Never mind," said Gisgo; "I recognise them; and I recognise something else; that chief is the blackguard who cut them off."