ld no longer be
curbed, and he felt that he _must_ sally forth to ascertain, if
possible, the fate of M'Bongwele and his party. Accordingly, mounting
his horse, he took his way out of the village, passing through the
principal gateway, and heading for the ruins at a gallop. He was
greatly disconcerted, on reaching his destination, to discover that the
_Flying Fish_ still peacefully reposed in her usual berth; and his
disgust was supreme when he further noticed, crouched on her lofty deck,
a disconsolate-looking group, which his fears only too truly assured him
must be the king and his companions. His first impulse was to retire
and leave them to their merited fate; but the unwelcome reflection
suggesting itself to him that they might possibly be discovered and
rescued in the morning, he altered his purpose, and, making a virtue of
what was almost a necessity, advanced with the intention of proffering a
respectful inquiry as to whether any unfortunate accident had delayed
the royal return. He was, however, forestalled by the king and his
party, who, the instant they saw him, hailed his appearance with joyous
shouts and an almost piteous entreaty to him to replace the ladder.
This he, still making a virtue of necessity, at once attempted to do;
but the clumsy construction proved too much for his strength. A happy
idea, however, now flashed through the mind of one of the party; and,
unstringing their bows, they joined the strings together into one
continuous line, which, luckily for them, reached the ground; and
Seketulo bending the lower end on to the ladder, the latter was soon, by
the exertions of all hands, reared into position. The party, thoroughly
crestfallen, now lost no time in making their way to the ground, when
M'Bongwele at once requisitioned Seketulo's horse, and galloped off
homeward at top speed, the chief and the rest of the party being left to
plod back to the village at their leisure and as best they could.

Notwithstanding this most dismal failure, M'Bongwele still entertained
hopes of being able to possess himself of the coveted ship; and early
next morning every available man and woman was marched to the scene of
the preceding day's discomfiture to attempt the task of _carrying the
Flying Fish to the village_! This attempt, it is scarcely necessary to
say, also resulted in complete failure, and with this failure king
M'Bongwele was at last compelled to recognise himself as beaten. It
became cl