Mullerstoodinshadow。NodoubtheexpectedwhatwasComing，andsoughttheadvantageofposition；butforamanwhowishedtopersuadeandhadnothingtoconceal，minewasthepreferable。
’Lookhere，’Ibegan，’Ihearyouaresellingtothenatives。’
’Othershavedonethatbeforeme，’hereturnedpointedly。
’Nodoubt，’saidI，’andIhavenothingtodowiththepast，butthefuture。Iwantyoutopromiseyouwillhandlethesespiritscarefully。’
’Nowwhatisyourmotiveinthis?’heasked，andthen，withasneer，’Areyouafraidofyourlife?’
’Thatisnothingtothepurpose，’Ireplied。’Iknow，andyouknow，thesespiritsoughtnottobeusedatall。’
’TomandMr。Rickhavesoldthembefore。’
’IhavenothingtodowithTomandMr。Rick。AllIknowisIhaveheardthembothrefuse。’
’No，Isupposeyouhavenothingtodowiththem。Thenyouarejustafraidofyourlife。’
’Comenow，’Icried，beingperhapsalittlestung，’youknowinyourheartIamaskingareasonablething。Idon’taskyoutoloseyourprofit-thoughIwouldprefertoseenospiritsbroughthere，asyouwould-’
’Idon’tsayIwouldn’t。Ididn’tbeginthis，’heinterjected。
’No，Idon’tsupposeyoudid，’saidI。’AndIdon’taskyoutolose；Iaskyoutogivemeyourword，mantoman，thatyouwillmakenonativedrunk。’
UptonowMr。Mullerhadmaintainedanattitudeverytryingtomytemper；buthehadmaintaineditwithdifficulty，hissentimentbeingalluponmyside；andherehechangedgroundfortheworse。
’Itisn’tmethatsells，’saidhe。
’No，it’sthatnigger，’Iagreed。’Buthe’syourstobuyandsell；
youhaveyourhandonthenapeofhisneck；andIaskyou-Ihavemywifehere-tousetheauthorityyouhave。’
Hehastilyreturnedtohisoldward。’Idon’tdenyIcouldifI
wanted，’saidhe。’Butthere’snodanger，thenativesareallquiet。You’rejustafraidofyourlife。’
Idonotliketobecalledacoward，evenbyimplication；andhereIlostmytemperandpropoundedanuntimelyultimatum。’Youhadbetterputitplain，’Icried。’DoyoumeantorefusemewhatI
ask?’
’Idon’twanteithertorefuseitorgrantit，’hereplied。
’You’llfindyouhavetodotheonethingortheother，andrightnow！’Icried，andthen，strikingintoahappiervein，’Come，’saidI，’you’reabettersortthanthat。Iseewhat’swrongwithyou-
youthinkIcamefromtheoppositecamp。Iseethesortofmanyouare，andyouknowthatwhatIaskisright。’
Againhechangedground。’Ifthenativesgetanydrink，itisn’tsafetostopthem，’heobjected。
’I’llbeanswerableforthebar，’Isaid。’Wearethreemenandfourrevolvers；we’llcomeataword，andholdtheplaceagainstthevillage。’
’Youdon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout；it’stoodangerous！’hecried。
’Lookhere，’saidI，’Idon’tmindmuchaboutlosingthatlifeyoutalksomuchof；butImeantoloseitthewayIwantto，andthatis，puttingastoptoallthisbeastliness。’
Hetalkedawhileabouthisdutytothefirm；Imindednotatall，Iwassecureofvictory。Hewasbutwaitingtocapitulate，andlookedaboutforanypotenttorelievethestrain。InthegushoflightfromthebedroomdoorIspiedacigar-holderonthedesk。
’Thatiswellcoloured，’saidI。
’Willyoutakeacigar?’saidhe。
Itookitandhelditupunlighted。’Now，’saidI，’youpromiseme。’
’Ipromiseyouyouwon’thaveanytroublefromnativesthathavedrunkatmyplace，’hereplied。
’ThatisallIask，’saidI，andshoweditwasnotbyimmediatelyofferingtotryhisstock。
Sofarasitwasanywaycriticalourinterviewhereended。Mr。
Mullerhadthenceforthceasedtoregardmeasanemissaryfromhisrivals，droppedhisdefensiveattitude，andspokeashebelieved。
Icouldmakeoutthathewouldalready，hadhedared，havestoppedthesalehimself。Notquitedaring，itmaybeimaginedhowheresentedtheideaofinterferencefromthosewhohadbyhisownstatementfirstledhimon，thendesertedhiminthebreach，andnowsittingthemselvesinsafetyeggedhimontoanewperil，whichwasallgaintothem，alllosstohim！Iaskedhimwhathethoughtofthedangerfromthefeast。
’Ithinkworseofitthananyofyou，’heanswered。’Theywereshootingaroundherelastnight，andIheardtheballstoo。Isaidtomyself，”That’sbad。”Whatgetsmeiswhyyoushouldbemakingthisrowupatyourend。Ishouldbethefirsttogo。’
Itwasathoughtlesswonder。Theconsolationofbeingsecondisnotgreat；thefact，nottheorderofgoing-therewasourconcern。
Scotttalksmoderatelyoflookingforwardtoatimeoffighting’withafeelingthatresembledpleasure。’Theresemblanceseemsratheranidentity。Inmodernlife，contactisended；mangrowsimpatientofendlessmanoeuvres；andtoapproachthefact，tofindourselveswherewecanpushanadvantagehome，andstandafairrisk，andseeatlastwhatwearemadeof，stirstheblood。Itwassoatleastwithallmyfamily，whobubbledwithdelightattheapproachoftrouble；andwesatdeepintothenightlikeapackofschoolboys，preparingtherevolversandarrangingplansagainstthemorrow。Itpromisedcertainlytobeabusyandeventfulday。TheOldMenweretobesummonedtoconfrontmeonthequestionofthetapu；Mullermightcallusatanymomenttogarrisonhisbar；andsupposeMullertofail，wedecidedinafamilycounciltotakethatmatterintoourownhands，THELANDWELIVEINatthepistol’smouth，andwiththepolysyllabicWilliams，dancetoanewtune。AsIrecallourhumourIthinkitwouldhavegonehardwiththemulatto。
WEDNESDAY，JULY24-Itwasaswell，andyetitwasdisappointingthatthesethunder-cloudsrolledoffinsilence。WhethertheOldMenrecoiledfromaninterviewwithQueenVictoria’sson，whetherMullerhadsecretlyintervened，orwhetherthestepflowednaturallyfromthefearsofthekingandthenearnessofthefeast，thetapuwasearlythatmorningre-enforced；notadaytoosoon，fromthemannertheboatsbegantoarrivethickly，andthetownwasfilledwiththebigrowdyvassalsofKaraiti。
Theeffectlingeredforsometimeonthemindsofthetraders；itwaswiththeapprovalofallpresentthatIhelpedtodrawupapetitiontotheUnitedStates，prayingforalawagainsttheliquortradeintheGilberts；anditwasatthisrequestthatIadded，undermyownname，abrieftestimonyofwhathadpassed；-uselesspains；sincethewholereposes，probablyunreadandpossiblyunopened，inapigeon-holeatWashington。
SUNDAY，JULY28-Thisdaywehadtheafterpieceofthedebauch。
Thekingandqueen，inEuropeanclothes，andfollowedbyarmedguards，attendedchurchforthefirsttime，andsatperchedaloftinaprecariousdignityunderthebarrel-hoops。Beforesermonhismajestyclamberedfromthedais，stoodlopsidedlyuponthegravelfloor，andinafewwordsabjureddrinking。Thequeenfollowedsuitwithayetbrieferallocution。Allthemeninchurchwerenextaddressedinturn；eachhelduphisrighthand，andtheaffairwasover-throneandchurchwerereconciled。
CHAPTERVI-THEFIVEDAYS’FESTIVAL
THURSDAY，JULY25-ThestreetwasthisdaymuchenlivenedbythepresenceofthemenfromLittleMakin；theyaveragetallerthanButaritarians，andbeingonaholiday，wentwreathedwithyellowleavesandgorgeousinvividcolours。Theyaresaidtobemoresavage，andtobeproudofthedistinction。Indeed，itseemedtoustheyswaggeredinthetown，likeplaidedHighlandersuponthestreetsofInverness，consciousofbarbaricvirtues。
Intheafternoonthesummerparlourwasobservedtobepackedwithpeople；othersstandingoutsideandstoopingtopeerundertheeaves，likechildrenathomeaboutacircus。ItwastheMakincompany，rehearsingforthedayofcompetition。Karaitisatinthefrontrowclosetothesingers，whereweweresummonedIsupposeinhonourofQueenVictoriatojoinhim。Astrongbreathlessheatreignedundertheironroof，andtheairwasheavywiththescentofwreaths。Thesingers，withfinematsabouttheirloins，cocoa-
nutfeatherssetinringsupontheirfingers，andtheirheadscrownedwithyellowleaves，satonthefloorbycompanies。A
varyingnumberofsoloistsstoodupfordifferentsongs；andtheseborethechiefpartinthemusic。Butthefullforceofthecompanies，evenwhennotsinging，contributedcontinuouslytotheeffect，andmarkedtheictusofthemeasure，mimicking，grimacing，castinguptheirheadsandeyes，flutteringthefeathersontheirfingers，clappinghands，orbeatingloudasakettledrumontheleftbreast；thetimewasexquisite，themusicbarbarous，butfullofconsciousart。Inotedsomedevicesconstantlyemployed。A
suddenchangewouldbeintroducedIthinkofkeywithnobreakofthemeasure，butemphasisedbyasuddendramaticheighteningofthevoiceandaswinging，generalgesticulation。Thevoicesofthesoloistswouldbeginfarapartinarudediscord，andgraduallydrawtogethertoaunison；which，when，theyhadreached，theywerejoinedanddrownedbythefullchorus。Theordinary，hurried，barkingunmelodiousmovementofthevoiceswouldattimesbebrokenandglorifiedbyapsalm-likestrainofmelody，oftenwellconstructed，orseemingsobycontrast。Therewasmuchvarietyofmeasure，andtowardstheendofeachpiece，whenthefunbecamefastandfurious，arecoursetothisfigure-