“I’m a little afraid for Peggy,” replied Fitzroy; “she is the strength of the company; besides, we all love her, and——”
But Fitzroy’s scruples were soon overcome, and so, after dressing like an angel—this was Johnnie’s expression—Peggy was the first to get into the war-canoe, much to the astonishment of the savages. Peggy had no fear. All were armed with revolvers. But there did not seem very much to dread. They took quite a bale of goods with them, and Gourmand had his great duck-gun: so big and heavy was it, that few ordinary men could have wielded it.
On his way to the king’s camp, and while still at sea, Gourmand raised the piece and brought down a bird of the hawk species. The report was so awful and so unexpected, that most of the crew fell backwards with alarm, and lay there with their naked legs in the air.
The king himself almost fainted, but when he saw the great bird lying dead on the water—
“Oh, good, good!” he exclaimed, in his own language. “The big boy clever, clever. When we get back, the big boy shall shoot my old fat wife. She is good for nothing now—only for soup.”
The landing was very impressive. The savages crowded round their king, and it was evident from his gestures that he was telling all his adventures, and speaking in favour of these white men.
When a few minutes after this the pigmy Willie led Peggy on shore, and Peggy smiled and bowed to them, and then quietly ran, chattering and laughing, into the very midst of the wildest-looking group, those cannibals were completely vanquished.
But when Gourmand jumped on shore with his marvellous trombone, they fell back, and would have turned pale with superstitious terror, if it were possible for a negro to do so. Then Gourmand blew a blast from the instrument, and twenty men at least fell flat on their faces. But seeing the king laughing, they took heart and advanced, and in less than five minutes the giant was so great a favourite that they would willingly have killed and eaten Karoo in order that Gourmand might reign in his stead. And so this bloodless battle was won.
* * * * *
The child Peggy had brought her mandoline, and was invited by the king to sing, in order that his people, he said, might rejoice.