TERROR OF THE KING. 219 



filled with terror, threw himself on the ground 

 before me, and placing one of my feet on his 

 head, entreated me to preserve him from harm, 

 and to inform him what was the decision of the 

 Fates. It was now my turn to make use of the 

 power which I was supposed to possess, and I 

 replied that I should tell him presently, but that 

 I must now return to my house with all my men. 

 The farce had been successful so far, and the 

 artifice was only to be carried out to a successful 

 issue. 



After keeping the king in suspense about an 

 hour, I sent word to him that I was ready to 

 receive him, and that he himself was to come 

 and see the result of the fetish. He came imme- 

 diately, and as soon as he was seated, I told him 

 that I had sent for him to see whether I was to 

 go or stay, and that my god would punish them 

 in a manner of which they had no idea, if they 

 presumed to break his commandments. I then 

 took from my pocket a little compass, and ex- 

 plained to him, that if the needle in it pointed 

 towards me, as soon as it was placed on the 

 ground, that I was to go from Fundah, and that 

 if towards him that I was to stay, to all of which 

 he attended with much reverence. I of course 



