Trim could see that he was still engaged in looking on and directing whatever work was in hand.
One of the men in the party dropped his spear and climbed a small tree that grew not far from the fire.
Soon the tree began to shake and bend under his weight, and still the man climbed up. The tree bent lower and lower until at last the man was hanging to its topmost branches, his feet dangling downward.
His weight bent the tree double, and some of his companions reaching up, caught him by the feet and pulled him down.
He still clung to the tree, so that its top was bent clear down to the level of the ground.
Several others then laid hold of the tree and kept it from springing back to its upright position.
Meantime the man who had been kneeling put his head forward upon the ground and cried out in evident terror.
Trim, of course, could not understand the words used by the savages, but it was very plain that this fellow was badly frightened.
While the savages were busy in bending the tree over, the frightened man began to crawl toward the king.
The latter raised his arm, evidently as a signal, for several of the others leaped upon the kneeling man and dragged him to the spot where the top of the tree was held down.