He really appeared to afford great fun to their majesties.
But when he took out his piccolo, and begun to breathe his griefs and sorrows into that, their mirth changed into pensive melancholy. They listened enraptured. He changed his tune, and turned on the sailor's hornpipe. They were all smiles once more, and giving the attendants a sign, they withdrew, and in about half an hour the hall was nearly filled with dancing flower-adorned cannibal maidens.
It was a strange wild scene, and stranger from the fact, that in this case, youth and beauty was dressed in nothing else save flowers and feathers.
At the end of the ball, the younger queen rushed forward and saluted Kep, by rubbing her nose against his.
"You good, good, goodee boy," she cried. "For tree week you play to me, den----"
"Then what, your majesty?"
"I lub you so much den, dat I eatee you. Plenty ob kava and spice--Yum! yum!"
"This is something to look forward to, with a vengeance," said Kep to himself.
The next two days and evenings, passed in much the same way.
Their majesties had been told of the capture of their united husband, but it didn't affect them a great deal.