his attache of legation gazed at the mountains with unspoken
misgivings. They were quite near now, and could see an
immense crowd of men and women, all of them black, and clad
but in the simplest garments, waiting to receive them. They
seemed greatly excited and ran in and out of the huts, and up
and down the beach, as wildly as so many black ants. But in
the front of the group they distinguished three men who they
could see were white, though they were clothed, like the
others, simply in a shirt and a short pair of trousers. Two
of these three suddenly sprang away on a run and disappeared
among the palm-trees; but the third one, when he recognized
the American flag in the halyards, threw his straw hat in the
water and began turning handsprings over the sand.

"That young gentleman, at least," said Albert, gravely, "seems
pleased to see us."

A dozen of the natives sprang into the water and came wading
and swimming toward them, grinning and shouting and swinging
their arms.

"I don't think it's quite safe, do you?" said the consul,
looking out wildly to the open sea. "You see, they don't know
who I am."

A great black giant threw one arm over the gunwale and shouted
something that sounded as if it were spelt Owah, Owah, as the
boat carried him through the surf.

"How do you do?" said Gordon, doubtfully. The boat shook the