"Where shall I hide? whither shall I fly? I must hie me to my harem.
"Nary a hie my dear boy; if that pirate king, as you call him, comes on shore, one of the first places he will visit will be your harem. He will soon have you out of there."
"But where--where--can I go?"
"Well, to tell you the truth the coal cellar would be the best place for a potentate like you. Ah, here come the drinks. I suppose your Highness won't join us? No?"
"Now then," he continued, "let us finish this talkee-talkee. I'm not giving John Bull here a show, but he can put in his oar when he pleases."
"I'll leave the talking to you, sir," said Johnson.
"And, young fellow, have you called out your troops?"
"They are assembling. They are now in the bush," said the Sultan.
"Well, I'd keep them there for a time. How many maxims?"
"Only a few."