"

The bewildered chief, scarcely able to realise the fact that he had
actually been brought safely back to _terra firma_, lost no time in
availing himself of the permission given him to depart, and, scrambling
down the ship's side and the rope-ladder, he reached the ground and
bounded off like a startled deer toward the gate, which was hastily
thrown open to admit him, and as hastily closed and barred again the
moment he had passed through. The _Flying Fish_ then rose once more
into the air and leisurely made her way back to the ruins, passing, _en
route_, the force which had been sent out to capture her, and which was
now making the best of its way back to the village to report the result
of the expedition.

Meanwhile Lualamba made his way rapidly up through the village to the
king's palace (which was, after all, merely the largest hut in the
inclosure), having gained which he besought an immediate audience with
M'Bongwele on a matter of the utmost importance. The king, who had
already been made acquainted with the circumstance of the chief's
involuntary journey into the upper regions, was, of course, all
curiosity to learn the fullest details of the adventure, and the desired
audience was accordingly at once granted. Conscious of the fact that,
for the first time in his life, he had failed to execute the mission
intrusted to him, and extremely doubtful as to the reception which would
be accorded to the message of which he was the unwilling bearer,
Lualamba deemed it best on this occasion to tell a plain unvarnished
tale, and, commencing his narrative at the point where he and his
warriors had first come within sight of the huge object of which they
were in quest, he described in full detail all his subsequent
adventures, with the thoughts, feelings, and impressions resulting
therefrom, and wound up falteringly with the message.

His story was received by the king and his suite with ejaculations of
wonder and incredulity, interspersed with many sharp commands from the
monarch to repeat or to explain more fully certain passages; and when
the message was delivered a profound silence reigned for fully an hour.
King M'Bongwele was a despot, accustomed to issue his commands in the
most heedless manner and to have them executed at all costs; but to
_receive_ a command was an entirely novel and decidedly disagreeable
experience, and he was thoroughly puzzled how to act. His first feeling
was one of speechless indignat