d the female
attendants, who did not seem to be troubled by any false shame, already
standing inside the hut, having been ordered to attend and help us to
"make ready."

"Make ready, indeed," growled Good; "when one has only a flannel shirt
and a pair of boots, that does not take long. I wish you would ask them
for my trousers, Quatermain."

I asked accordingly, but was informed that these sacred relics had
already been taken to the king, who would see us in the forenoon.

Somewhat to their astonishment and disappointment, having requested the
young ladies to step outside, we proceeded to make the best toilet of
which the circumstances admitted. Good even went the length of again
shaving the right side of his face; the left, on which now appeared a
very fair crop of whiskers, we impressed upon him he must on no account
touch. As for ourselves, we were contented with a good wash and combing
our hair. Sir Henry's yellow locks were now almost upon his shoulders,
and he looked more like an ancient Dane than ever, while my grizzled
scrub was fully an inch long, instead of half an inch, which in a
general way I considered my maximum length.

By the time that we had eaten our breakfast, and smoked a pipe, a
message was brought to us by no less a personage than Infadoos himself
that Twala the king was ready to see us, if we would be pleased to come.

We remarked in reply that we should prefer to wait till the sun was a
little higher, we were yet weary with our journey, &c., &c. It is
always well, when dealing with uncivilised people, not to be in too
great a hurry. They are apt to mistake politeness for awe or servility.
So, although we were quite as anxious to see Twala as Twala could be to
see us, we sat down and waited for an hour, employing the interval in
preparing such presents as our slender stock of goods
permitted--namely, the Winchester rifle which had been used by poor
Ventvoegel, and some beads. The rifle and ammunition we determined to
present to his royal highness, and the beads were for his wives and
courtiers. We had already given a few to Infadoos and Scragga, and
found that they were delighted with them, never having seen such things
before. At length we declared that we were ready, and guided by
Infadoos, started off to the audience, Umbopa carrying the rifle and
beads.

After walking a few hundred yards we came to an enclosure, something
like that surrounding the huts which had been allotted to us, on