"O Carter," he said, "dem Laura, she lib for Teach-palaver house in Las Palmas."
"She left for Las Palmas in the _Frau Pobst_ certainly. But I don't know where she is staying."
"Teach-palaver house," said the King placidly, "by Telde."
"She was at school once at a convent on the Telde road."
"I say, King, how the deuce do you know that?"
"Savvy plenty funny things," said the King, and turned to do justice on another culprit who was brought before him for trial.
The royal _ménage_ was simple. They dined off a couscousoo and a bowl of stewed goat, such as any well-to-do native farmer might have set on the floor before him for his meal, and thereafter they sat on mats of elaborate straw-work upon the hard earth, and the King consumed at a moderate computation one ounce of snuff before he was inclined for further talk.
Then, "O Carter," said he, "what for dis stone palaver?"
"When that stone is taken to my country they heat it in a furnace with other things, and a white metal runs out."
"Dem stone worth lot o' money, or you no fit for carry small-small load all dem way to coast. And a whole hill of dem stone lib far up ribber. So dem hill worth plenty-much lot o' money."
"There goes my pile," thought Carter bitterly. "The greedy old ruffian's going to hook it for himself."
The King went on. "Dem Kate, she fit for be O'Neill and Craven now?"
"Smith an' Slade all-e-same work-boy for O'Neill and Craven?"
"Good. And you," went on this well-informed monarch, wagging a fat forefinger, "you want marry Kate, same's I wanted to marry Laura, an' she no fit for have you, same's Laura no fit for have me dem time?"
Carter dropped his chin onto his knees and said nothing. The King went on, "O Carter, you fit for save my life dis day. If you no come wid dem canoe, I lib for be crocodile chop this minute. So I do not take your red--I do not make you lib for die as I say dis morning, but I fit for make you glad. Dem Dutchmen hold dem factory now at Mokki?"
"Then I send my war-boys in at back an' stop roads. But I take ju-ju off roads to dem O'Neill and Craven factories at Smooth, an' Monk, and Malla-Nulla."
"Then dem Kate she love you much when she find dem factory once more do trade."
"I'm afraid, King, it would take a lot more than that to make Kate feel attached to me. You see, I'm no longer in O'Neill and Craven's service. I chucked it when she sold Mokki, and I've been on my own ever since."