THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 189 



dare to repeat such language he would shoot him on the spot, at 

 the same time explaining that in England such insolence would 

 be certain to provoke bloodshed. Mrs. Baker also gave expres- 

 sion to her indignation in such a way that the king, no doubt, 

 was glad his proposition was not accepted. "Don't be angry !" 

 he exclaimed ; "I had no intention of offending you by asking 

 for your wife; I will give you a wife, if you want one, and I 

 thought you might have no objection to give me yours ; it is my 

 custom to give my visitors pretty wives, and I thought you might 

 exchange. Don't make a fuss about it ; if you don't like it, 

 there's an end of it ; I will never mention it again." Baker 

 received this very practical apology sternly, and insisted upon 

 starting. The king seemed rather confused at having committed 

 himself, and to make amends he called his people and ordered 

 them to carry the loads. His men ordered a number of women 

 who had assembled out of curiosity to shoulder the luggage and 



/ 



carry it to the next village, where they would be relieved. Baker 

 assisted his wife upon her ox, and with a very cold adieu to 

 Kamrasi, they turned their backs gladly upon that country. 



A SATANIC GUARD. 



NOTWITHSTANDING his enfeebled condition, Baker rejoiced that 

 he was finally rid of the persistent old beggar, and the cavalcade 

 moved southward along the banks of the Kafoor river with 

 excellent progress. As they approached the next village, at least 

 six hundred men came rushing out with spears and lances to 

 receive them. Baker's men thought they were to be attacked, 

 but his experienced judgment told him different, for women and 

 children were mixed up with the crowd of natives, which is never 

 the case when an attack is intended. 



"With a rush like a cloud of locusts," says Baker, "the 

 natives closed around us, dancing, gesticulating and yelling 

 before my ox, feigning to attack us with spears and shields, then 

 engaging in sham fights with each other, and behaving like so 

 many madmen. A very tall chief accompanied them. One 

 of their men was suddenly knocked down and attacked by the 

 crowd with sticks and lances, and lay on the ground covered 



