Mr. Kenyon had come up with the King, each telescope in hand, and unobserved.
CHAPTER XXVIII
SAVING THE STORES
There was no sign to be made out of anything in the shape of immediate danger from the top of the palace, and the party soon descended to some of the more immediate trouble.
For there were the wounded to visit and to try to cheer, encouraging them with hopeful words about the future, Mr. Kenyon laying a good deal of stress upon the possibilities of help coming ere long from outside as the result of his message sent by Adong; and as Harry went through the room turned into a hospital, he could not help noticing the effect of his father's words, and the way in which the sufferers' eyes brightened at the very mention of a British man-o'-war.
Then there was another matter to set right. There was an ample supply of provisions in the palace stores, so long as they were not forced by the enemy to keep merely to the one wing; and even if they were, the King had seen that there was a fortnight's provender for all; but there was another little party shut up with them for whom provision had been made, but whose proceedings were so wholesale that it was evident something must be done.
A little council of war was held, the King being careful not to wound the susceptibilities of his English friends by taking any steps without consulting them.
And as the matter in question was discussed he said,—
"I took care to keep the elephants, thinking that possibly we might have to escape to the jungle, when they would be invaluable for the ladies; but on further consideration it seems that they are only a useless encumbrance to us. They eat enormously, and to-morrow we should have to let them commence upon the stores of grain which we may require for ourselves."
"And you propose now, sir, to set them at liberty to shift for themselves?" said one of the gentlemen present.