’Ngaloo was taking lessons in modern warfare. He told Harry, when he met him, that he meant to remodel his own army upon the principles of Googagoo’s.
The cross-bows greatly took his fancy. So did the amazons.
He could not tire looking at them, and as soon as he got home, he said, he would arm and drill every one of his wives, and make amazons of them.
“And if they do not be good soldiers,” he added, “why, there is the tongs.”
He snapped that weapon as he spoke, and cackled and laughed as if he had said something very clever and witty.
The next stupid thing that ’Ngaloo did was to take Harry by the arm, and tell him with a burst of confidence, which was no doubt meant to be very friendly, that when they returned to King Kara-Kara’s, and captured the white slaves, Harry should have no less than two of them, and that he, ’Ngaloo, would only keep four to himself.
Harry burst out laughing in the great king’s face; but instead of being offended, ’Ngaloo was delighted, for he thought that Generalissimo Harry Milvaine was pleasedly acquiescing in his pretty little arrangement.
’Ngaloo was so delighted that he must needs go and help himself to another dose of his brain-devouring rum or fire-water.
Then he turned his attentions towards Googagoo. He made this honest king a very long speech indeed, laudatory of his own exceeding greatness, and of the comparative insignificance of every other king and chief in creation.
To all of this Googagoo listened with the politeness and urbanity inseparable from his nature.