carrying
on," returned Dick. "I think that it might help matters a bit, both now
and in the future, if you were to play up to the idea and infuse a
general air of benevolent condescension into your intercourse with them.
I don't see that it could possibly do any harm. Do you?"

"Don't know," answered Earle. "It might if, later on, they were to come
to me and demand that I do some impossible thing for them. But, on the
other hand, I guess it would be up to me to refuse, if I chose. On the
whole, perhaps--and yet, I don't know--Yes, I guess I'll try it, and see
how it works."

Bending down, he lightly touched the two officers upon the shoulder and,
when they ventured to glance up at him, graciously signed to them to
rise, which they did, with every mark of the most profound reverence.
From that moment there was no further trouble. Without waiting for
permission from the examining officer, Earle calmly resumed his singlet
and coat, taking care now, however, to leave fully exposed the jewel, or
amulet, or whatever it was, that had produced such a wonderful effect;
and this done, he signed to Adoni to open the gate and admit Inaguy and
the rest of the Indians, which was instantly done. In the meantime,
while the Indians were with much deliberation gathering up their loads
and adjusting them upon their shoulders, in response to Earle's
reassuring call, Adoni and the other officer had withdrawn to a little
distance and were plunged into an earnest, anxious consultation, the
result of which was that, a few minutes later, a man, naked save for a
sort of breech cloth wrapped about his loins, started out from the guard
house and set off down the road leading to the city, as though running
for his life.

As the last of the Indians passed through the gateway, the massive
timber gates were closed and securely barred behind them, and Earle and
Dick stepped forward to place themselves at their head, intending to
resume their march toward Ulua. But Adoni, perceiving their intention,
at once intervened and, firmly yet with the utmost reverence of manner,
intimated by signs an earnest desire that the party would postpone their
departure. He did this by standing before them in the middle of the
road, with his arms outstretched as though to bar the way; then he
signed to the Indians to remove themselves to a wide plot of grass by
the side of the road and deposit their burden there; and finally
beckoned the two white men to accom