They were built
of red clay, plastered perfectly smooth. There were no windows or
openings on the exterior, but the door led into an open courtyard
of some twelve feet in diameter. On each side of this was a sort
of alcove, built up of clay, about three feet from the ground. This
formed a couch or seat, some eight feet long by three feet high,
with a thatched roof projecting so as to prevent the rain beating
into the alcove. Beyond were one or more similar courts in proportion
to the size of the house. A sheep and a quantity of vegetables and
fruits were sent in in the course of the day, but they were told
not to show themselves in the streets until they had seen the king.
"We shall be expected to make his majesty a handsome present," Mr.
Goodenough said, "and, unfortunately, our stores were not intended
for so great a potentate. I will give him my double barreled rifle
and your Winchester, Frank. I do not suppose he has seen such an
arm. We had better get them cleaned up and polished so as to look
as handsome as possible."
In the morning one of the captains came and said that the king
was in readiness to receive them, and they made their way through
a vast crowd to the marketplace, an open area, nearly half a mile
in extent.
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