CHAPTER XXIX.
HOW WE DECEIVED THE KING—SOLVING A MATRIMONIAL
PUZZLE—INSPAN AND MOVE SOUTH—OVERTAKEN.
The king shook his head, and I gathered from his remarks that he preferred we should leave our magical appliances at home when we paid him a visit.
After this I led the conversation around to the object of his visit to the ladies' camp. He hesitated somewhat, and did not admit that he came for the purpose of marrying our fair friends, until I plumply asked if what we had heard was true. He then said that he did wish to marry them, and he would make them the greatest ladies of the land.
"But you should give them time to consider it," I said. "You must manage this matter just as it is managed in the country the ladies come from. Is it not so, my friend!"
He reluctantly assented to my proposition, and said that he would give them time to consider.
"Very well," I answered; "go away for a short time, say three or five days, and tell them that you will come back at the end of that period to receive their answer. You can, if you like, leave a few of your men here to watch the camp and see that they do not move away. This will make everything safe for you, and the ladies will have an opportunity to think the matter over; when they have carefully considered it there is no doubt that they will do as you wish."
He hesitated a moment, and then said:
"The white man's words are wisdom; I will leave four of my soldiers here, and will come back in five days."
I called Mrs. Roberts and Miss Boland from their tent, not desiring to have the old blackguard go back there again, and heard him make his statement as just given, through the medium of the interpreter. I nodded to them, and they accepted the proposal at once.
Thereupon the interview ended; the king gathered his followers, detailing four of them to remain at the camp, and told them their duty would be to give him notice of any attempt of the party to move. He was then treated to a good-sized drink of weak brandy and water, and after smacking his lips over it for some ten minutes or so, he departed.