Young Briton, No. 422 — page 2: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

82 THE YOUNG BRITON, August 4, 1877 ‘* May it please your gracious majesty, but I really think that [ wouldrather not eat him.’’ ‘‘©And why not?’’ demanded the king, somewhat sharply ; ‘* he fat, nice, and tender.” **T dare say the gentleman has allthe qualities you mention, but at the same time I should not like to put him tothe proof, You see, in my country we oever think of eating men.’’ ‘¢ Ah, dem barbarians, not know how nice they are. The white man whocame here—misaionary chap, you understand, he say same thing, He marry my daughter, he not like work, Callus alldem heathens. He no like man flesh, So we shut him up with a boiled baby—he eat it all up in threedays. Then he come out and join us in all ihe feasts.” “Then “he deserved his fate,” said Sam; ** the idea of a Missionary devouring his people.” ** He mizht have been alive now, but he so lazy, would not work,”’ continued Buagerloo. —_ ** And was that the reason you—you killed the gentleman ?” asked Sam. ‘‘ Me like him berry much. He cook so well. He make pie, and all kinds nico things out of anything. My daughter berry pleased wid him, berry; but he so dem idle.’’ ‘¢ Hxeuse me asking the question, but did Miss Bungerloo love him ?”’ ** Ob, yes. She marry him—but one day he made dish of buffslo too hot. So she took up her war-clob and knocked him on the head, and he fell down flat on him back.’’ ‘** The poor fellow was insensible,’? murmured Sam; * poor lost fellow, did he recover ?”’ ‘+ We no wait to ask that. The cauldron wason the fire, so we took off his clothes and shoved him in, and make some beautiful stuff which ho used to call soup.” “ Oh! good gracieus!” said Sam, wriggling about ; “ how very terrible—horridly nasty. ‘*So he was,”’ replied King Bangerloo, quietly ; ‘the tasted of tobacco. I did not care for him much.” : ‘¢ Oh, whata pleasant father-in-law,” groaned Sam ; ‘‘ really shocking.”’ ** We never agreed well in life,” sald King Bungerloo; ‘‘ and I know we did not aiter was dead,’’ stomach in a way which made Sam shudder. ‘¢ You will ponk well,” said the king, looki es NO eT beg your pardon,” \sxid Sam Small, ‘* just the reverse. I was tried once. They kept me boiling for three days and three nights, and I was so tough that they could not get th air teoth in me. You don’t know how tough I am. kt King Bungerloo opened his eyes at this state- ment, as well he might. .« Then he gtianed, and showed his sharp white teeth in an awful manner. “They dem bad cooks, 17ll try one day me cook better than that.’ “Gracious goodness, what save I done?” thought Sam; but be dared not speak. ‘* Now we goon to the marriave,” cried King Bungerloo ; “soon get dat over,”’ Ustering a wild yell, King Bungerloo went leaping in front of ali his elan. Ho waved his club over his head—shonted, danced, and screamed. After be had been engaged at this work for aboitaminute all the chiefs of the clan com- menc:d the same terrible uproar and capering, until Sam became giddy wita the shouts and the leapings. But what struck Sam as the most comic part of the business was that the fat Panpukkeewis- nutmee capered and shrieked as loudly as any one of the party. ‘‘Can he be aware that he is to furnish the wedding breakfast?’’ thought Sam. ‘I should think not, or he would use his capers to a l.ttle more purpose by running away.”’ Then the king made a sign, and at once the party commenced their march, The dasky and not at all blushing biile seized Sam by the arm, and led him forward, The king kept a few paces ahead of them, leaping and yeliing frantically. Behind them came the musicians, blaring away on their trumpetsand beating the big drum fear- ‘fully. Such fearful music Sam had never heard wat [se ww he As he spoke, King Bungerloo rubbed bis | air before, and devoutly hoped he should never hear ain. It was awful in the extreme. ‘* Whatever will become of mo?” muttered Sam. “J know I shall die of fright if this goes on. Forward he was forced to march, for close be- bind him came the fat victim, ‘IT know why he Igaps,” thought Sam. “He wants tomake himself unhealthy to ext,” At last they came to a eurions building, one which brought Sam’s heart into his mouth, as the saying is, Tt was built of bones—human bones, the skulls being used as bas-reliefs. “Ha, ba!’ cried King Bungerloo, as he arrived at this house of death. “Oh, [£ do like this place. Him very fine. Him full of sad memories, and pleasant ones too.”’ ‘ I don’t quite understand you,’’ said Sam, ® voice was geiting of the weakest. Ah, all these men I have known dem well; some dem tough, others, oh! so tender. Dey make my mouth all full of water when I think of them—onh ! s0 sweet,” “Tt looks a terrible place,’ said Sam. ‘I don’t think I will go in.’’ ‘But I think you will,” replied the king, in a manner which at once showed Sam refusal would be useless. Into this fearful charnel-house Sam was led by his bride. Then all the blacks began shonting in a loud voice a rude Chorus, which we, for the benefit of the reader, will translate, and it may be as well here to mention that in future we must make all our characters able to converse with one another, as it would hinder the progress of the story to make the characters explain the methods they em- ployed to communicate with each other. ‘¢ Hail! hail to our mighty Who rules with a neon bat His glory and praises lot eg sing _ Throughout this happy land.” — his verse was repeated over and over again ; each time one verse sini SN all the Savages uttered a furious yell and leaped high in the ‘This very fine house, thie, A pretty idea of mine. When I becams king there was one very reat feast, Gad we eat up lot men, So I ordered all their skeletons to be kept, and built rt of this house with them, Hyery man I eat, is skeleton comes here,” *Oh! Lor!” exclaimed Sam Small, ‘to think that my skeleton may come here.’’ ahh: ‘Yea; you come here one day,” langhed Bangerloo, ‘‘ but now get the marriage over.” At « sign from the king 8am Smal was seized by two of the guards, his clothes stripped off of repeated expostulations, he was daubed all over with black paint, 80 that he goon looked as much a b'ack as Bangerloo, hs They then greased his hair and stuck feathers into is, giving him en awfal appearance. A‘ter they had docorated his head, thoy wrapped a strip of linen round abont his Joius, work in admiration. + Well, this is a pratty go,’ said Sam Small; “blessed if my-own mother woud know me. [ wish I were well out of this upe. If oncel get away L'il take good care that i do pot thrust my head into such afix again.’ — Bat now the marriage ceremony Was about to take place. _ Miss Moselekatze Bangerloo—for that was the princess’s name—approsched Sam, and taking his hand, stood basbfully by his side. Theo the warriors joined hands, and forming a ring, danced round them. ‘7’m blessed if this aia’t like the gamo of kis8-in-the-ring On Hampstead Heath,”’ said Sam. ‘* How I wishit may wind up in the same innocent way. But it won’t, I know.” Then the dance came toan ead, and Bungerlico made Sam kneel down upon his handsand knaes, ae being turned towards his blushing bride. ‘‘Beauteous Moselekata,’’ said Bungerloo, ad- dressing his daughter, and at the same time pre- se iting her with a thing that looked like a thia cricket bat, “bahold at your feet your slave, him, and then, in spite of hig Str ggles and | 8 and then, drawing back a little, gazed on their whom you have honoured by taking as a hus- band, I here present you with the wand of authority to do as you like with him. ButI should warn you not to let loye make you too lenient. Beating makes 3 husband attentive and submissive—hesides it makes him tender.’’ Sam Small groaned aloud as he heard this } remark of the King. ‘¢ Therefore,’? continued Bungerloo, ‘I bid you spare not the wand of authority.”’ The lovely Moselekatze tok the wand and made @ sign to her father. In an instant the oli man sprang upon Sam, and seated himeelf stride-legs on the poor lad’s neck, gripping him so tightly by the throat that he could not move, Then the beaatifal blushing bride raised high the wand of autherity,and brought it down with all her might upon the vafortunato Sam, who uttered a yell of ngony, and struggled violently to escape. But King Bungerloo was strong and held Sam Smatt firmly. Meanwhile, Moselekatze belaboured away with @ will, whilst all the savages screamed with delight. Sam screamed also, but it waa not with the same fesling. The more the savage warriors screamed, the more Moselekatae struck out. ‘“ MordJer! murder!” roared Sam Small; “oh! you—brutes—oh! oh! oh!”’ Whack, whack, whack, went the bat, and Sam wrigg'ed about in pain. At last he managed to get his head a litile less tighily held, as his struggles had caused Kiog Bungertloo to relax his grasp. Seizing the opportunity, Sam plunged his testi into the thick part of Bungerloo’s leg. s* Bo0-00-oe-oh!’? roared the king, trying to shake Sam off. . Bat this was not to be done, Sam held on like grim death. Still the fair bride flourighed the bat, still the savage Warriors applauded ; for no one had per- ceived the accident which had bofallen the king, and evidently the cotrtierg looked upon hia thricks aud BHOlts as done for their amusement, and therefore, true courtier-like, shouted and yelled in praise of the king’s curious antics. ~ At last Bungerloo could put up with it no more. He sprang from Sam, leaving a large piece of flesh in thet young gentleman’s teeth. “Gracions goodness,”’ cried Sam, as he spat out the piece pe rose to hig feet, *‘ was there ever gach a set of gavage brutes seen in this world like these before.” “+ He has bitten the king,” shouted the savages. ‘* He has bitten the king—he must die!” ‘‘Bittea him, I should think I had, and so would you, too, had you been in my place.” aey sprang forward, and ina few moments Sam was secured between tvo huge savages. Ob! oh!” yoared King Bungerloo ; * E shall never be able to stand upright again,”’ ** Aud I shall never be able to sit down as long a8 I live,’”’ replied S-m. ‘You won’t haye long to liye,’? said Bungerloo, with a ¢ernel grin, “in a couple of days your skeletoa shall b: placed tere fa this house. Paupuckkeewissnutmee, come here to me! ”’ The litthe fat man approached the kivg, and bowed low to him. ‘‘ Paupukkee wissnuimes,’’ said Bungerloo; ‘‘is was our iatention to have killed and eaten you for the wedding feast. We are sorry to have to deprive you of the honour; bat we must do 80. - Paupukkeewissnuim e, tried to look as if he was really very sorry, but Sam could see plainly enough that the poor wretch was delighted at his escape. | “However,-you are & good cook, and therefore we could have but ill-spar:d you.” ‘¢ You do me too much hononr,” said the poor little fat map, bowing low. ‘You will therefore kill that wretch, who has dared to bite his king, and make # soup of him. Take him away to the kitchen, and lét me kuow when dinner is ready,”’ “ Bat, you majesty,’’ cried Sam, “ you swore to let me return to my friends in safety,” “Take him away,’’ said Bungerloo. “ We have - no mercy.’’ ‘But there is your maa on board the ship. My King will kill bim ifyou kill me,’’ rs EO) JOO AMC CS(GO)