“Wait a little, gentlemen,” said the resident, smiling; “the interview is not at an end. What shall I reply about the hunting-party?”
“Oh, we shall be delighted to go. You’ll go too?” said Captain Horton, answering for both.
“If matters are pleasantly settled,” said Mr Linton. Then turning to the two Malay officers, whose dark restless eyes had been scanning the faces in turn, he said that they would be most happy to accept the sultan’s invitation.
The officers were delighted, and declared that the sultan’s joy would know no bounds.
They had previously declined all refreshments, but now that their business was at an end they accepted cigars, and laughed and chatted, evidently enjoying the visit immensely, and accepting a proposal to walk round the grounds with alacrity.
As they went into the verandah, the resident found a couple of the sultan’s men waiting, with a present of the choicest fruit the country produced; huge durians, and fine mangosteens, with the most select kinds of plantain known for the delicacy of their flavour.
The visitors took an almost childish delight in the fish in the two fonts, and smiled with pleasure at the sight of the large selection of flowers; but a keen observer would have noticed that as they walked round the fort and earth-works, the muntri eagerly scanned every preparation for defence, though apparently more attracted by the uniforms of the sentries than anything else.
As they were crossing the little parade ground, with its well-trampled soil, on their way back to their boat, Tom Long was encountered, on his way to the mess-room.
He started on coming upon the little party so suddenly, but saluted and went on.
Oddly enough that brought to the muntri’s memory a little affair that had happened on the previous day. Two young officers of the ship had been ashore shooting birds, and they found a party of the country people behaving rather ill to a couple of slave girls, and naturally enough, like all young men would, they took the girls under their protection, and brought them to the residency. Was it not so?