Among these people we observed a tall person clothed in what seemed to be a magnificent feather cloak, and, walking around and about him, a number of grotesque forms adorned with hideous masks and basket-like head-dresses that were surmounted by plumes.

“The king or chief and his priests or medicine-men!  This is splendid,” said Bickley triumphantly.

Bastin also contemplated them with enthusiasm as raw material upon which he hoped to get to work.

By degrees and very cautiously they approached us.  To our joy, we perceived that behind them walked several young women who bore wooden trays of food or fruit.

“That looks well,” I said.  “They would not make offerings unless they were friendly.”

“The food may be poisoned,” remarked Bickley suspiciously.

The crowd advanced, we standing quite still looking as dignified as we could, I as the tallest in the middle, with Tommy sitting at my feet.  When they were about five and twenty yards away, however, that wretched little dog caught sight of the masked priests.  He growled and then rushed at them barking, his long black ears flapping as he went.

The effect was instantaneous.  One and all they turned and fled precipitately, who evidently had never before seen a dog and looked upon it as a deadly creature.  Yes, even the tall chief and his masked medicine-men fled like hares pursued by Tommy, who bit one of them in the leg, evoking a terrific howl.  I called him back and took him into my arms.  Seeing that he was safe for a while the crowd reformed and once again advanced.

As they came we noted that they were a wonderfully handsome people, tall and straight with regularly shaped features and nothing of the negro about them.  Some of the young women might even be called beautiful, though those who were elderly had become corpulent.  The feather-clothed chief, however, was much disfigured by a huge growth with a narrow stalk to it that hung from his neck and rested on his shoulder.

“I’ll have that off him before he is a week older,” said Bickley, surveying this deformity with great professional interest.

On they came, the girls with the platters walking ahead.  On one of these were what looked like joints of baked pork, on another some plantains and pear-shaped fruits.  They knelt down and offered these to us.  We contemplated them for a while.  Then Bickley shook his head and began to rub his stomach with appropriate contortions.  Clearly they were quick-minded enough for they saw the point.  At some words the girls brought the platters to the chief and others, who took from them portions of the food at hazard and ate them to show that it was not poisoned, we watching their throats the while to make sure that it was swallowed.  Then they returned again and we took some of the food though only Bickley ate, because, as I pointed out to him, being a doctor who understood the use of antidotes; clearly he should make the experiment.  However, nothing happened; indeed he said that it was very good.