Although the bed was large it was uncomfortably full, and the unpleasant thought came into Philip’s mind that while remaining upon the island he would probably have the same number of bedfellows every night.
The strangeness of the situation, however, did not prevent him from closing his eyes in slumber, and this blissful unconsciousness might have continued until daybreak had it not been for a decided interruption in the shape of a tropical tempest, which came upon them in all its fury just before midnight.
In an instant the court-yard was a scene of the greatest confusion as the crowd of apes tried to gain shelter in the adjoining buildings, and during the confusion the king’s dignity was completely forgotten.
Even had the main building been intact it would not have sufficed to shelter one-fourth of the party, and, half-ruined as it was, only comparatively few could find in it a refuge from the rain which poured down in torrents.
As a matter of course this obliged the majority of the troop to flee toward the other cottages, and they ran in every direction with apparently not a thought of their recently-returned king. There was no one, however insignificant, who would pause in that tempest to do homage to the monarch, and in a very few seconds the court-yard was so nearly deserted that the king was virtually alone.
This was the opportunity for which Philip had longed, and, perhaps fortunately for him, it had come thus quickly. Now he could steal away unobserved, and bury what might not inaptly be termed his own bones.
CHAPTER XXVI.
A KINGLY GRAVE-DIGGER.
Philip had no very clear idea of where the skeleton was hanging. As is already known, he had accidentally come upon it during his journey from the beach; therefore the mimosas with the sinister-looking fruit were in a southerly direction from the village, but of more than that he was ignorant.