Now, as ill luck would have it, the particular hippopotami we

had shot were a family of tame animals that were kept in the
mouth of the port and daily fed by priests whose special duty

it was to attend to them. When we shot them I thought that the
brutes were suspiciously tame, and this was, as we afterwards

ascertained, the cause of it. Thus it came about that in attempting
to show off we had committed sacrilege of a most aggravated nature.

When our guide had finished his tale, the old man with the long
beard and round cap, whose appearance I have already described,

and who was, as I have said, the High Priest of the country,
and known by the name of Agon, rose and commenced an impassioned

harangue. I did not like the look of his cold grey eye as he
fixed it on us. I should have liked it still less had I known

that in the name of the outraged majesty of his god he was demanding
that the whole lot of us should be offered up as a sacrifice

by means of being burnt alive.
After he had finished speaking the Queen Sorais addressed him

in a soft and musical voice, and appeared, to judge from his
gestures of dissent, to be putting the other side of the question

before him. Then Nyleptha spoke in liquid accents. Little did
we know that she was pleading for our lives. Finally, she turned

and addressed a tall, soldierlike man of middle age with a black
beard and a long plain sword, whose name, as we afterwards learnt,

was Nasta, and who was the greatest lord in the country; apparently
appealing to him for support. Now when Sir Henry had caught

her eye and she had blushed so rosy red, I had seen that the
incident had not escaped this man's notice, and, what is more,

that it was eminently disagreeable to him, for he bit his lip
and his hand tightened on his sword-hilt. Afterwards we learnt

that he was an aspirant for the hand of this Queen in marriage,
which accounted for it. This being so, Nyleptha could not have

appealed to a worse person, for, speaking in slow, heavy tones,
he appeared to confirm all that the High Priest Agon had said.

As he spoke, Sorais put her elbow on her knee, and, resting
her chin on her hand, looked at him with a suppressed smile upon

her lips, as though she saw through the man, and was determined
to be his match; but Nyleptha grew very angry, her cheek flushed,

her eyes flashed, and she did indeed look lovely. Finally she
turned to Agon and seemed to give some sort of qualified assent,

for he bowed at her words; and as she spoke she moved her hands
as though to emphasize what she said; while all the time Sorais

kept her chin on her hand and smiled. Then suddenly Nyleptha
made a sign, the trumpets blew again, and everybody rose to leave

the hall save ourselves and the guards, whom she motioned to stay.
When they were all gone she bent forward and, smiling sweetly,

partially by signs and partially by exclamations made it clear
to us that she was very anxious to know where we came from.

The difficulty was how to explain, but at last an idea struck
me. I had my large pocket-book in my pocket and a pencil. Taking

it out, I made a little sketch of a lake, and then as best I
could I drew the underground river and the lake at the other

end. When I had done this I advanced to the steps of the throne
and gave it to her. She understood it at once and clapped her

hands with delight, and then descending from the throne took
it to her sister Sorais, who also evidently understood. Next

she took the pencil from me, and after examining it with curiosity
proceeded to make a series of delightful little sketches, the

first representing herself holding out both hands in welcome,
and a man uncommonly like Sir Henry taking them. Next she drew

a lovely little picture of a hippopotamus rolling about dying
in the water, and of an individual, in whom we had no difficulty

in recognizing Agon the High Priest, holding up his hands in
horror on the bank. Then followed a most alarming picture of

a dreadful fiery furnace and of the same figure, Agon, poking
us into it with a forked stick. This picture perfectly horrified

me, but I was a little reassured when she nodded sweetly and
proceeded to make a fourth drawing -- a man again uncommonly

like Sir Henry, and of two women, in whom I recognized Sorais
and herself, each with one arm around him, and holding a sword

in protection over him. To all of these Sorais, who I saw was
employed in carefully taking us all in -- especially Curtis --

signified her approval by nodding.
At last Nyleptha drew a final sketch of a rising sun, indicating

that she must go, and that we should meet on the following morning;
whereat Sir Henry looked so disappointed that she saw it, and,

I suppose by way of consolation, extended her hand to him to
kiss, which he did with pious fervour. At the same time Sorais,

off whom Good had never taken his eyeglass during the whole indaba
[interview], rewarded him by giving him her hand to kiss, though,

while she did so, her eyes were fixed upon Sir Henry. I am glad
to say that I was not implicated in these proceedings; neither

of them gave me her hand to kiss.
Then Nyleptha turned and addressed the man who appeared to be

in command of the bodyguard, apparently from her manner and his
frequent obeisances, giving him very stringent and careful orders;

after which, with a somewhat coquettish nod and smile, she left
the hall, followed by Sorais and most of the guards.

When the Queens had gone, the officer whom Nyleptha had addressed
came forward and with many tokens of deep respect led us from

the hall through various passages to a sumptuous set of apartments
opening out of a large central room lighted with brazen swinging

lamps (for it was now dusk) and richly carpeted and strewn with
couches. On a table in the centre of the room was set a profusion

of food and fruit, and, what is more, flowers. There was a delicious
wine also in ancient-looking sealed earthenware flagons, and

beautifully chased golden and ivory cups to drink it from. Servants,
male and female, also were there to minister to us, and whilst

we ate, from some recess outside the apartment
'The silver lute did speak between

The trumpet's lordly blowing;'
and altogether we found ourselves in a sort of earthly paradise

which was only disturbed by the vision of that disgusting High
Priest who intended to commit us to the flames. But so very

weary were we with our labours that we could scarcely keep ourselves
awake through the sumptuous meal, and as soon as it was over

we indicated that we desired to sleep. As a further precaution
against surprise we left Umslopogaas with his axe to sleep in

the main chamber near the curtained doorways leading to the apartments
which we occupied respectively, Good and I in the one, and Sir

Henry and Alphonse in the other. Then throwing off our clothes,
with the exception of the mail shirts, which we considered it

safer to keep on, we flung ourselves down upon the low and luxurious
couches, and drew the silk-embroidered coverlids over us.

In two minutes I was just dropping off when I was aroused by
Good's voice.

'I say, Quatermain,' he said, 'did you ever see such eyes?'
'Eyes!' I said, crossly; 'what eyes?'

'Why, the Queen's, of course! Sorais, I mean -- at least
I think that is her name.'

'Oh, I don't know,' I yawned; 'I didn't notice them much:
I suppose they are good eyes,' and again I dropped off.

Five minutes or so elapsed, and I was once more awakened.
'I say, Quatermain,' said the voice.

'Well,' I answered testily, 'what is it now?'
'Did you notice her ankle? The shape --'

This was more than I could stand. By my bed stood the veldtschoons
I had been wearing. Moved quite beyond myself, I took them up

and threw them straight at Good's head -- and hit it.
Afterwards I slept the sleep of the just, and a very heavy sleep

it must be. As for Good, I don't know if he went to sleep or