was that he had not
seen just what had happened--as might very well have been the case,
since the whole thing seemed to have occurred in the space of a single
instant--and was under the impression that I had suddenly gone mad and
was attacking his daughter, I know not, but it is certain that Ama's
scream, and certain hasty words uttered by her, only barely saved me
from his fury. But no sooner did he lower the threatening spear than I
once more glued my lips to the wound, sucking hard at it with the object
of extracting the poison before it had contaminated the blood; and in
this effort I was happily successful, for although there was a slight
swelling of the limb, and some pain for an hour or two, that was all
that happened; and before morning my patient had quite recovered from
all the effects of her alarming adventure.

The result of this was that I immediately became a prime favourite of
the king. There was no further pretence of treating me as a prisoner,
but, on the contrary, I was loaded with honours. A large house was
assigned to my use, with a complete staff of servants to attend to my
wants; an abundant supply of food was daily sent to me from the royal
table; and, as I understood it, I was appointed physician in ordinary to
the royal household. Another result--to which I did not attach nearly
sufficient importance at the moment--was that I made an implacable and
deadly enemy of Mafuta, the chief witch-doctor.

I have said that there was no further pretence of treating me as a
prisoner, and this was true, but only within certain limits, as I
discovered the moment that I set about taking measures to effect my
escape. I was allowed to go freely where I pleased, it is true, even to
the extent of making long hunting or exploring excursions into the
adjacent country, but--whether or not by the king's orders I could never
satisfactorily ascertain--I soon found that I could never manage to
steal off anywhere alone. If ever I attempted such a thing--and I did,
very frequently--a party of the king's guards was certain to turn up, in
the most exasperatingly casual and unexpected manner, and join me, under
the pretence, as they made me understand, that it was extremely
dangerous to venture alone beyond the confines of the town, if I
pretended that I was engaged in hunting for animals, or plants to be
used in my medical practice. Or, if I attempted to go anywhere by
water, I could take any canoe I chose, but two o