The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)Paltock, Robert
Science
The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)
Paltock, Robert
Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction
the toils he is ever spreading for them; and, becoming his wife,
produce a standing fund to make him a rich man in reality, which he but
personated before."
Pendlehamby could not well understand all I said; and I found by him
that all the riches they possessed were only food and slaves; and as I
found afterwards when amongst them, they know the want of nothing else;
but I am afraid I have put them upon another way of thinking, though I
aimed at what we call civilising of them.
[Illustration: 5061]
[Illustration: 0062]
CHAPTER VI.
_Quangrollart arrives with the colambs--Straitened for
accommodation--Remove to the tent--Youwarkee not known--Peter relates
paid of his travels--Dispute about the beast-fish skins._
SLEEPING longer than usual, I was awakened next morning by a gripsack
from Quangrollart; upon hearing of which I roused immediately, thinking
they were at my door; but the messenger told me they could not be there
in what I understood by his signs to be about two hours, for they have
no such measure for time as hours; so I dressed at leisure, and then
went to Youwarkee and waked her. "Youwee," says I, "your brother will
be here presently, and I having a mind you should appear as my
countrywoman, would have you dress yourself."
We walked down to the level, and but just saved our distance; for the
van of them were within the arkoe before we arrived, and with such a
train after them as seemed to reach the whole length of the arkoe. The
regularity and order of their flight was admirable, and the break of the
trumpets so great, sounding all the way they came (for we had not only
one set of them, but at least thirty, there being so many colambs and
petty princes in the train, each with fifty attendants), that I wondered
how they could bear it. As the principals alighted, which was at least
a hundred paces from me, the gripsacks still kept wing, sounding as long
as we stayed.
This was a very tedious ceremony, for the guards alighting with their
colambs, ranged just as Pendlehamby's had done, but reached as far as
the eye could see. As they moved towards us, You-warkee and I, having
stood still some time, moved slowly forward to meet them.
It would have surprised you to have seen the deference they paid us;
and I believe the guards took us for something above the mortal race.
You-warkee showed no part of her graundee, having on sleeves down to her
wrists, white silk stockings and red-heeled shoes; so that none of them
knew her for one of them.
The first that we met was my brother, to whom we had only an opportunity
of paying our compliments _en passant_ before another graundee came up,
who was succeeded by another and another, to the number of thirty; some
out of respect to my father and brother, and some out of mere curiosity
to see me; and as fast as each had paid his salutes, he passed us, till
we found we had no more to meet, when we turned about, and fell in with
the company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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