“Now, you leave dem two drumsticks for me, ’Ockins,” said Ebony, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “You’ll do yourself a injury if you heat de whole ob ’im.”
“Well, I must confess to bein’ surprised summat,” said the seaman, referring to Mark’s observation, not to Ebony’s.
They were destined to receive some additional surprises before that day was over. The meal which they had been discussing was barely finished when their friend the Interpreter again entered and bade them follow him.
“Queen Ranavalona wish sees you,” he said.
“What! all on us?” exclaimed Hockins, with elevated eyebrows.
“Yis—all.”
“Oh! nonsense,” he cried, turning to Mark. “It must be you, doctor, she wants to see. What can she want with a or’nary seaman like me?”
“Or a extraor’nary nigger like me?” said Ebony, with a look of extreme contempt.
“You kin stop in house if you choose,” remarked the Interpreter, with a quiet grin, “but you heads be splitted if you do.”
“Then I think I’ll go,” said Hockins, quietly.