204 MENACED BY THE KING. 



After waiting a quarter of an hour, in rushed 

 his sable majesty, and coming up to me com- 

 menced a volley of abuse, which it was perhaps 

 as well that I did not understand, as I was al- 

 ready sufficiently exasperated against him. In 

 the course of his hurried harangue, he repeatedly 

 drew his hand across his own throat, using at 

 the same time various significant gestures, with 

 the view, I concluded, of intimidating me. But 

 I had been too long among negroes, and too 

 well initiated in their character, to feel the least 

 alarmed at his proceedings; and just as he con- 

 cluded, Sarsfield brought in my Kroomen all 

 armed. They had no sooner made their appear- 

 ance than a change was produced in the tone and 

 manner of the king ; he became at once mode- 

 rate in his proceedings, and the palaver happily 

 ended in a more peaceable way than its com- 

 mencement seemed to promise. It was agreed 

 that I should give up my new lodgings, and 

 remain within the outer walls of his house in two 

 huts and a large court-yard, beyond which I was 

 not to go without his permission. In return for 

 this compliance on my part, he consented, though 

 with a very ill grace, to release my unfortunate 



