To please King Googagoo he at once accepted his assistance, but said they must prepare.
“All the men of war and all the amazons,” replied the king, “are at your disposal. You have brought everlasting joy to my heart, do with us what you will.”
Harry at once set about operations. He held a great review in one of the largest islands. Every man, he found, was a soldier, but they were sadly deficient in armour of an effective kind. Spears there were, though, in abundance—nothing else save these and knives.
Then it occurred to Harry to regularly drill them as sailors are drilled on shore, in companies, in squares of various kinds, and in battalions or—impis.
He guessed, rightly too, that the fine old Highland triangle-formation would do well with these people. (Note 1.) So he taught them that.
But his teaching did not end here. He must furnish his little army with some weapon far more effective than either dagger or spear; so he set himself to think.
How he wished he had but a hundred rifles and ammunition! But wishes in this case were vain enough.
Why not bows and arrows?
Why not, indeed. The idea struck him as he lay in bed one night, and so excited him that he did not steep a wink till nearly sunrise.
He was up betimes all the same, and made haste to communicate his notion to the king.