Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Dynamiter

168 New aRabiAn nights.
my eye fell on a boat, drawn into a natural liarbour,
where it rocked in safety, but deserted. I looked about
for those who should have manned her ; and presently,
in the immediate entrance of the wood, spied the red
embers of a fire and, stretched around in various atti-
tudes, a party of slumbering mariners. To these I drew
near : most were black, a few white ; but all were dressed
with the conspicuous decency of yachtsmen ; and one,
from his peaked cap and glittering buttons, I rightly
divined to be an officer. Him, then, I touched upon the
shoulder. He started up ; the sharpness of his move-
ment woke the rest ; and they all stared upon me in
surprise.
' What do you want ? ' inquired the officer.
' To go on board the yacht,' I answered.
I thought they all seemed disconcerted at this ; and
the officer, with something of sharpness, asked me w^ho I
was. Now I had determined to conceal my name until
I met Sir George ; and the first name that rose to my
lips was that of the Sefiora Mendizabal. At the word,
there went a shock about the little party of seamen ; the
negroes stared at me with indescril^able eagerness, the
whites themselves with something of a scared surprise ;
and instantly the spirit of mischief prompted me to
add :" ' And if the name is new to your ears, call me
Metamnbogu.'
I had never seen an effect so wonderful. The negroes
threw their hands into the air, with the same gesture I
remarked the night before about the Hoodoo camp-fire ;
first one, and then another, ran forward and kneeled
down and kissed the skirts of my torn dress ; and when
the white officer broke out swearing and calling to know
if they were mad, the coloured seamen took him by the
shoulders, dragged him on one side till they were out of
hearing, and surrounded him with open mouths and ex-
travagant pantomime. The officer seemed to struggle
hard ; he laughed aloud, and I saw him make gestures
of dissent and protest ; but in the end, whether over-
come by reason or simply weary of resistance, he gave
in — approached me civilly enough, but with something