He then turned and made low obeisance to the Papaloi.
"I have asked the prince, as you told me, to stand farther back from the door. Meanwhile, O most gracious Papaloi, some miracle may happen to show you that he is a prince and no liar."
Now seeing that we were on the blacklist, the crowd gathered round and jostled us fiercely.
"You tell them," said I to the guard, "that they'll be sorry for this a little later," at which our friend harangued the crowd, which for an answer laughed and made obscene gestures.
"How dare these strangers intrude upon our sacred rites?" thundered the Papaloi.
"That nigger says," said the guard, turning to us, "that he wonders how you had the cheek to come in here."
"Tell him we didn't want to come," said I. "We came quite against our will."
The Papaloi said something more to our friend with superior voice and gesture.
"He asks how you got into the temple."
"By magic," answered I, wishing not to betray the very commonplace method by which we had entered, or by which our companions, who were not any too far away, had left.