"Pull on shore quickly now, lads," cried Fred, and the boat was quickly beached. The pig was lifted on board, the jacket and trousers laid on the sands, and off they shoved again, and were soon once more safely on their own quarter-deck.
In an hour's time, however, they had the satisfaction of seeing King Ota come down to the beach, dress in the new clothes, then stride gallantly away, followed by all his sable suite.
Instead of lying at anchor all night, and probably thus courting an attack, it was thought advisable to put out to sea, where they could bid defiance to a whole fleet of armed canoes.
The king presented himself on the beach next day, but he had no pig. It was noticed too that not a woman or child was permitted to appear; and this Quambo assured Fred was a certain sign that these savages meant to fight.
Now fighting was no part of Fred's policy. With all his courage and daring it would be ruinous not only for his party, but for those he sought to rescue, to go to war with these savages. Against such numbers he could only act on the defensive, and this but for a very short time. So he determined to make friends by every means in his power. He once more, therefore, drew near to the beach and held parley with King Ota, or King Breeches, as Magilvray called him.
Fred informed him that he came now on a friendly mission; that he desired everlasting peace between the white men and the blacks; and that in proof of this if he, King Ota, would venture on board he should be treated kindly and receive many more presents, even a fire-stick such as he, Fred, had slain the pig with the day before.
The offer of a gun was certainly a great temptation, but it evidently was not great enough to induce King Ota to risk his sacred person on board the Island Queen.
"Would the white man leave the fire-stick on the beach and go away?" he asked.
"No; the white man would do nothing of the sort."
"Would the white man then kill something else?"