ctory even than we had expected.
He consented to send back Charley and me with twenty men as a guard,
keeping Harry as a hostage, allowing Aboh to accompany us, under the
promise, however, of returning.

Thanking the king for agreeing to our proposal we begged that we might
set out immediately.

"Good-bye," said Harry, "I wish that we could have all gone together,
but I know you will come back for me, and I do not see how it otherwise
could have been arranged."

We forthwith commenced our march. The party was under the command of
Prince Ombay, the king's son, a good-natured, merry fellow, with whom
Aboh seemed on very good terms. Charley and I were by this time well
immured to fatigue, and our companions lightly clad were able to perform
long distances each day. We met with no very interesting adventures,
although I shot a deer, and Charley was fortunate enough to kill a
buffalo which afforded a supply of meat to our companions, and raised us
greatly in their estimation. At length we reached the neighbourhood of
King Quagomolo's village, when Prince Ombay proposed encamping, and
allowing Charley and me with Aboh to go forward and complete our
negotiations with King Quagomolo.

We had done our best to impress upon Aboh that he must not attempt any
act of treachery, and that everything must be carried on in a peaceable
manner: to this he agreed, and we hoped that we could trust him. When
we entered the village the people gazed at us in astonishment. Aboh did
not think fit to enlighten them as to the cause of our return. We went
straight to the residence of the king.

"There he is," exclaimed Charley, as we approached the house, and we
found him sleeping in the shade of the rude veranda in front of it. As
we were anxious to ascertain how it fared with Tom, leaving the king to
finish his nap, we hurried off to our own house. Tom saw us and
hastened out to greet us.

"I had given you up for lost, gentlemen, it does my heart good to see
you. What has become of Mr Harry?" he asked.

We told him in a few words the object of our visit. "I think the
chances are the king will listen to you," he answered; "he came back
very much out of spirits at being taken by surprise, and at the loss of
so many of his people. I don't think he has any stomach for a war with
the other black king."

This was satisfactory. Accompanied by Tom we went back to Quagomolo's
house. His majesty was rubbing his eyes and stretching hi