"I am very much pleased to have the honor of welcoming you to my poor island," he told them as he took each by the hand, "and all that I have is yours."
The boys eagerly assured him that the pleasure was mutual, and their uncle invited him aboard, an invitation which he readily accepted, and, after they had shown him over the boat, they sat down to a meal which Mr. Lakewood had cautioned Wong to make particularly good. Their guest proved an excellent conversationalist and, before the meal was finished, the boys knew more about the lives and habits of the people of the South Sea Islands than they could have gotten from books in a long time.
"You must be my guests for the evening meal," Mr. Umgubsolongas told them when, finally, they pushed back their chairs. "Of course," he added, "I cannot hope to equal your most splendid hospitality but I hope to offer you a dish or two which will, at least, be new to you."
For an hour they chatted beneath an awning of the forward deck and then their guest took his departure, after promising to call for them at six o'clock.
"And you must bring your captain with you," was his parting word.
"Afraid he'll eat you, Bob?" Mr. Lakewood chuckled as the native disappeared amid the crowd which still thronged the pier.
"He seems fine, all right, but you never can tell," Bob replied with a smile.
"He's a prince," Jack declared.
"King, rather," his uncle corrected him.
"But I thought this island belonged to the French."