reminds me that you had better
order George to bring on deck and open a small case of those beads and
nick-nacks that we provided for such occasions as the present," remarked
the professor.

The baronet returned to the pilot-house to give the order; and von
Schalckenberg drew out his white pocket-handkerchief, waved it two or
three times in the air, and then demanded, in the language he thought
most likely to be intelligible:

"What chief commands the warriors who have assembled to pay homage to
the four Spirits of the Winds?"

Most luckily for the professor's prestige and reputation as an all-wise
Spirit, the dialect he had adopted, though not the language actually
spoken by the tribe he addressed, was so far similar that his question
was understood; and whilst the astounded blacks started to their feet in
dismay at finding themselves at last actually face to face with and
addressed by an avowed Spirit, one of them hesitatingly and timorously
advanced a few paces, threw himself prostrate on the ground, and,
maintaining his posture of humility, stammered out:

"I, Lualamba, am the leader of these warriors, O most potent Spirit."

"Approach, brave Lualamba, and ascend to us by the ladder which we will
let down to you. We have that to say which must be heard by your ear
alone," commanded the professor, waving his hand majestically.

A rope-ladder was attached to the lower extremity of the side-ladder and
let down to the ground; and the chief, in a state of mind about equally
divided between the extremity of bodily fear on the one hand and pride
at being selected as the recipient of a special communication from the
Spirit Land on the other, hesitatingly and falteringly, and with many
doubtful pauses, advanced until he reached the foot of the ladder, when
his courage failed him, and he came to a dead halt.

"Ascend, and fear not," called out the professor encouragingly; "we are
the friends of your nation, and have forgiven the attack which some of
your people (not knowing us) made upon us yesterday. We have come
hither to shower gifts and benefits upon you--if you are obedient; but
if you reject our friendship, beware!"

Upon this the savage, no doubt feeling that, by placing himself at the
head of this most unlucky expedition, he had already gone too far to
permit of withdrawal, summoned up all his courage, and, with the air of
a man who knew himself to be treading on mined ground, scrambled up the
swaying ladd