Müller gave me a dig with his elbow, and started to his feet.

"Yes," he replied, loudly. "I do."

Every head was instantly turned in our direction.

The showman collapsed with astonishment. Even the captive, despite his
ignorance of the French tongue, looked considerably startled.

"_Comment_!" stammered the cocked hat. "Monsieur speaks Ashantee?"

"Fluently."

"Is it permitted to inquire how and when monsieur acquired this very
unusual accomplishment?"

"I have spoken Ashantee from my infancy," replied Müller, with admirable
aplomb. "I was born at sea, brought up in an undiscovered island, twice
kidnapped by hostile tribes before attaining the age of ten years, and
have lived among savage nations all my life."

A murmur of admiration ran through the audience, and Müller became, for
the time, an object of livelier interest than Caraba Radokala himself.
Seeing this, the indignant monarch executed a warlike _pas_, and rattled
his chains fiercely.

"In that case, monsieur, you had better come upon the stage, and speak
to his majesty," said the showman reluctantly.

"With all the pleasure in life."