heir length running north and south, or nearly so, and the people
use the points of the compass in describing the position of things.
Thus, if they tell a slave to look for a thing in the house, they will
say, Look in the north, south, east, or west corner, or side; and they
apply this rule to the person also. I once heard the member of a
mission from England told by his host that some rice was sticking to his
moustache. The missionary wiped the wrong side. `No,' said the host,
`it is on the _southern_ side of your moustache.'"

"Do you know," said Mark Breezy, "that is not so strange to me as you
might suppose; for I was once told by a friend who lived in the Scottish
Highlands, that an old woman there actually said to her that she had
toothache on the east side of her head!"

Further comment on this point was arrested by their coming suddenly in
sight of the house where the guide's friend dwelt.

"You had better stay here at the edge of this wood, while I go forward
alone," said the guide; "because although the man is kind, and has
always professed to be my friend, I am not quite sure of him. It is
well to be cautious. If I wave my hand to you, come up to the house,
all will be well. If things don't seem favourable I will return to
you--but keep close; don't show yourselves needlessly. You see, my
friend is an officer of the palace. If friendly he can be very useful
to us, if unfriendly he can be dangerous."

"But why run risk by going near him at all?" asked Mark.

"We _must_ run risk when life and death are in the balance," replied the
guide, shortly.

Concealed by the bushes, the travellers watched their companion as he
went up to the house. Before he reached it a man opened the door and
stepped out. Suddenly this man seemed to burst into a furious passion.
He grasped Ravonino by the throat, almost threw him on his back, and,
seizing a stick, began to belabour him violently, while two other men
appeared at the door of the house, and, from their inordinate laughter,
seemed fully to enjoy the scene.

"Hi!" exclaimed Ebony in shrill falsetto, as he jumped up in blazing
wrath, intending to rush to the rescue, but Hockins grasped his woolly
head and pulled him back.

"Obey orders, you black grampus! D'ee think he's a babby as can't take
care of himself? Didn't he tell us to keep close?"

Great as had been the surprise of the watchers at this sudden and
unprovoked assault, it was as nothing compared