"Call that n.i.g.g.e.r a king?" asked the Smith"s voice on the other side of me. Here there was a commotion from the throne.
Christophe had arisen and was pointing excitedly at us, waving his arms and foaming at the mouth. He motioned with his hands, and said something which I supposed was intended for "Down! down! kneel before the King! I am the King!"
[Ill.u.s.tration: I placed my foot on his neck.]
The Smith and the Bo"s"n seemed to understand what he intended to convey. They immediately plumped themselves down upon the hard pavement, in the hot glare of the sun; but I looked at them contemptuously, and only moved myself a little nearer to the camaito tree, and within its shade.
"If you are willing to appear as slaves," said I to the men at my feet, "you may do so. As for me, I am an American prince, and so I shall remain."
When the King saw that I stood while the others knelt, he began to look on me as something nearer equal with himself. The Smith, catching the situation, turned to me and began to prostrate himself before me. The Bo"s"n, seeing the motions of the Smith, imitated him. I waved my hand grandly, and walked to the lower step of the dais and asked for a seat.
Meanwhile I placed my foot upon the necks of the Bo"s"n and the Smith alternately, who edged along after me and knelt humbly before me.
Just then a man came hurrying into the King"s presence and prostrated himself before Christophe. Then he arose and looked inquiringly at the black monarch, as if to ask what was required of him, whether his head was to pay the forfeit for some transgression of which he was not conscious. It seemed that his tongue was the member required, and only that it should wag a little, for this was the court interpreter. The man turned to me and asked in fairly good English who I was and where I had come from.
"I represent," said I, "all there is of royal blood in my country. I am the son of our ruler." When this was repeated to Christophe, he spread his great lips in a hideous grin and asked what I supposed he cared for that.
"Tell the King," said I, "that I belong to a country a thousand times as large as this little Hati and Santo Domingo put together. We have great battle ships; we have subdued that immense country, England. What do you suppose they will do with you if you dare to harm a hair of my head?"
"For Heaven"s sake, speak him fair!" groaned the Bo"s"n.
"He may not harm a hair of your head," said the Smith, "but the bloodthirsty old wretch won"t care a hang if he chops ours off in the next half hour."
I looked downward to where the two men knelt, their heads bent to the floor in abject terror. I could not but laugh to see them.
"You have placed yourself in that ridiculous position," said I. "Now you will have to bear the consequences."
The King now asked if there was anything I could do to prove the truth of my statement. The old devil had a cunning leer, and I wondered what this might mean. I answered that if hating the French and English was not enough (I felt the Smith wriggle under my foot as I said this), "I know of little else to recommend me unless it is my knowledge of magic."
"How that fellow"s lying!" murmured the Smith. But, I added, that I was unaccustomed to being without clothes and a bath, and when those were supplied to me I could better collect my thoughts. The King looked astounded at this remarkable speech, and well he might. I doubt if any one had ever spoken with such frankness to Christophe since he was a little slave on the plantations of St. Kitts. He roared something to some guards standing near, and they approached me with much more respect than they had manifested at first, and motioned me with polite, if not servile bows along the terrace. I saw that the att.i.tude which I had a.s.sumed had raised me at once in the estimation of the King, and I decided to preserve it. I left the Smith and the Bo"s"n still kneeling, not knowing if they dare rise. I felt certain that I had all that I could do to take care of myself for the present, and that whatever I gained in respect from this black villain they would share as a part of my retinue.
I was led from the terrace along a veranda toward the back of the palace. Here I came upon a lovely flower garden, where singing birds swung above my head, and lakes reflected the leafy branches and the splendid cups of colour which overshadowed them. The bath was situated some distance back in this garden, and here I disported myself with such luxurious joy as no one can imagine who has not been a wanderer in the heated tropics away from fresh water. When I had bathed, I found clean towels lying on a stool at the door of the little rancho. The water, I should have said, ran through a sort of stone trough. There was a roof overhead, with jalousies to screen one from the sun and from too curious eyes; but, as Nature"s dress was at that time the most popular one to be found, it excited no interest. When I was ready to resume my clothes, I found a clean white costume awaiting me, and, robed in this, I felt once more that I was in my right mind, and the peer of any king that ever came out of Dahomey. I was now led back to the terrace where the King was still conducting business before he set out to ride among his sugar plantations, to see that his people toiled, constantly and sufficiently enough, to keep his revenues up to the proper figure. Upon my return I went close to the throne, regardless of the suggestion of my guard by nudges that I keep a little farther away from the august presence. The King turned upon me with almost a smile. I was certainly altered for the better. I a.s.sumed a very proud air, and looked around inquiringly for a chair. My guard, thinking that he knew my requirements, ran back into the crowd, and from the ma.s.s of hot and dishevelled prisoners he brought forth the Smith and the Bo"s"n. He made them resume their humble att.i.tudes at my feet. The Bo"s"n was quaking with fear. The men both knelt before me and placed their necks submissively under my foot.
"Hot isn"t no word for it," said the Smith.
"I didn"t ship for this," said the trembling Bo"s"n.
"You may get a worse billet than this if you don"t do as I tell you,"
said I hurriedly. "You must treat me as a great prince, and then perhaps I can help you. Heaven knows I don"t care to rest my foot on your neck!--it"s most uncomfortable." The men subsided without a murmur, and I took the open cane chair that was brought me, with a contemptuous look at its humble proportions.
Our asides had not been noticed, for just here some prisoners were brought to the King for judgment, and every one was turning to see them approach. Among them I discovered the Skipper. So soon as I caught sight of him I bounded from my chair and ran and embraced him most affectionately. The Skipper was very slightly clothed, and looked extremely uncomfortable.
"What are you doing, Jones?" he said. "Don"t make me ridiculous."
"You"ll feel much more ridiculous," said I, "if they take you out and shoot you, or if they copy the French method."
"What"s that?" asked the Skipper, with a trembling voice, apparently oblivious that the court had stopped business and was gazing at us.
"Why, kneeling before a trench with fifty other fellows, and being shot with such good aim that they don"t have to put you in your grave, only have to shovel the earth in. Now, you"re my Uncle----"
"What bosh are you talking! I am in no way related----"
"Very well, then, take your own course. I wanted to do what I can----"
"I"ll be anything if they"ll take this infernal chain off my wrist; it blisters like hot coals."
I turned to the interpreter and told him that, with the King"s permission, I should like the chains removed from my uncle"s arms--that he was the brother of the ruler of our country, who was my father. "We are not very far from your little island," said I. "It will not take my father many days to come here in one of his powerful war ships to carry us home." My look and tone seemed to convey much more than my words, as I intended that they should. The interpreter translated my speech to the King. He looked at me curiously for a moment, and then ordered the chains removed from the Skipper"s wrists.
The Skipper, now that his worst trouble was removed, began to clamour for even greater comforts.
He looked about him critically, the condescension of his manner contrasting curiously with the scantiness of his apparel.
"If the old beggar has another throne handy," said he, "I"ll take it."
These words were repeated to the King at my demand, with much halting and fear of consequences by the interpreter. I have always thought that Christophe had experienced so much of servility, which is the most tiresome thing in the world, from his sycophants, that he was glad to hear some straightforward talk. Possibly he felt that men who spoke so fearlessly and openly were even greater than they had declared themselves to be. Whatever his reasons, he spoke hurriedly to the interpreter, and he in turn to a servant. A chair was brought at once. I kicked the Smith and the Bo"s"n out of the way with all the hauteur that I could express in my manner. They bowed low and withdrew with smiling faces, but I noticed a glitter in the eyes of the Bo"s"n that was not to be lightly overlooked.
"We have disturbed the gracious King long enough," said I, with my politest bow. "We will not interrupt again." Wondering somewhat that we were not hurried to the citadel, or that our heads did not pay the forfeit at once, I saw the King settle down to the pursuance of his business matters.
The next prisoner was a fine-looking young fellow, tall and straight, of much prouder appearance than any one there.
"Have you finished the crown that I gave you to make?" asked Christophe.
The prisoner, who had fallen upon his face, partly because he was pushed there by the guard, replied:
"I have not, my Lord King. The time given me was too short."
"Away with him to La Ferriere! Bind him upon the parapet until nightfall, and when the sun sets behind the citadel cut the cords and let him fall into the abyss. Thus he will have a day to think over his failure and what success might have done for him. Bring in the next prisoner!"
The condemned man fell upon his face on the ground as if lifeless, and was dragged away.
The next person to step forward was a woman of about forty years. She trembled in every limb, and threw herself upon the hard stone slabs, sobbing, crying, and praying for mercy. So it seemed to me, though I could judge only by her tears and her att.i.tude of supplication.
"Have you finished the robe that I commanded for the Queen?" asked Christophe, in no gentle tones.
"A little time! A little time, I pray thee, most n.o.ble King!"
The interpreter was whispering the translation of these words in my ear.
"You have had a month! To the dungeons with her!" said the King.
The next prisoner who came forward was a middle-aged man. He shook as if with a palsy, but concealed his fear as well as possible. He knelt before the throne.
"Can you duplicate my ring?" asked Christophe.
"I think that I can with a little more time, great King," said the man.
"I am working day and night. But if the King will not let me have the sacred symbol, how shall I duplicate it?"
The words caused something to snap within my ear. I looked up anxiously.
The King was glaring at the man with eyes of fire. He had thrust his hand into the very face of the prisoner, and on his great thumb I perceived for the first time a circle of grotesque make. It held a common likeness to the sacred symbol which Cynthia had found. The moment that I caught a glimpse of the twisted serpent body I felt that I was safe. It was the very duplicate of the serpent ring that I had in my possession.