At the same moment a man, who had bounded from among the spectators, sprang upon the king.
There was a glitter of steel, then as the threatened monarch staggered back to avoid the blow, a pair of little arms were thrown about the would-be assassin’s body!
CHAPTER XXVI. AUDIENCE WITH A KING.
The excitement that ensued was intense. There was a rush for the spot by visitors, officers and crew. A chorus of screams from the feminine visitors, a quick word of command, and an excited jumble of English and Portuguese.
The crowd suddenly swayed, and a man in civilian clothing—a suit with a loud check pattern—was seen to savagely force his way to the ladder leading to the after deck.
A score of hands clutched at him, but he eluded them and gained the top. As he paused for a second, bareheaded, disheveled, breathing heavily, a cry came from the frantic mob below.
“It’s the Englishman!”
“Yes, the Englishman!” he flung back, fiercely. “I defy you, slaves of a royal master. I have tried to strike a blow for your liberty, hounds, a blow for the world’s liberty, and have failed. I——”