CHAPTER XI.—Faces Set Toward Danger.
Len-tala in Difficulties. The True Story of the Enterprising Young Men. Mr. Vancouver Faces the Unknown. Beelo Takes Us on a Journey.
BEELO was much excited and torn with impatience when I arrived. Despite that, he regarded me with an odd mixture of awe and fear.
“Choseph!” he exclaimed, “you are terrible and cruel! I couldn’t have believed———” His breath gave out.
“What’s the news, lad?”
The gentle solicitude in my voice steadied him, and he looked with his sunny smile.
“You are dear old Choseph, aren’t you?” he said. “Oh, everything has happened!” he flung out. “The king is terribly angry with Lentala for interfering with the arrest of the young men yesterday. I had to stay with her, and couldn’t come. I don’t know what trouble will come out of it, but the king is going to bring matters to a head at once, before we are nearly ready! Choseph! those young men ought not to have been let out of the valley. Gato is now on his way to the colony for a man, and you must go there immediately to attend to it. You must decide which man is to go.”
His news, breathlessly given, stunned me. It was essential that we both be calm.