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"Not as I am, at present, Meinik; but when I get English clothes on again, and rid myself from some of this stain, I have no doubt I shall be able to take you on board one of the ships-of-war. "And now, will you let me know what you are thinking of doing? I told the general what service you had rendered me, and he asked me what you were going to do.
Meinik always accompanied Stanley, wherever he went. He had now, to the latter's quiet amusement, modified his Burmese costume; making it look like that of some of the whites and, indeed, he would have passed without notice as one of the Goa-Portuguese mess waiters, in his suit of white nankeen.
Nothing had been said to the guard as to the white officer, of whom Meinik had spoken, being himself of the party; and Stanley had purposely left his pistols behind him, lest he should be tempted to use them. In case he was attacked, he carried a spear and a long Burmese knife. Meinik had begged to be allowed to go forward first, while Stanley remained by the rope.
It is just over where the village is. I am afraid there is a fire there." "You are right, Meinik. I hope nothing has gone wrong." He touched his horse with his heel, and rode on at a gallop. He became more and more anxious, as he approached the village. No flames could be seen leaping up, but there was a dull glow in the sky. As he rode into the clearing, he reined up his horse in dismay.
There was the same argument between him and Meinik that there had been when Stanley first left Rangoon, but this time it terminated differently. "You would be out of your element in England, Meinik. Of course, my life there will be very different from what it is here. I shall go away from home to business, every morning, and not get back until perhaps seven o' clock in the evening.
He will presently go with this officer to the general." Stanley said a few works in Burmese to Meinik, telling him that he was to have food, and would afterwards go with him to the general; and he then, at the invitation of the officers, sat down with them to breakfast. While eating it, Stanley told them something of his adventures.
As soon as the stockade was finished, musketeers took their place behind it and opened a dropping fire at the entrance, while the woodcutters continued to fell trees. "We must get rid of these dead bodies, if we can," Stanley said, "or the place will be uninhabitable, in a day or two. "Get those two bamboos we had for the litter, Meinik.
Just as it was dusk, the men returned carrying the rope that Meinik had bought, and a store of food. With these they were sent to the shelter, and Stanley entered the town, where he met Meinik. "I have sent in the fruit," the latter said. "I had no difficulty about it.
"The more light the better," he said, "when you are looking for snakes," and, holding them in one hand and his knife in the other, he passed through the doorway, which was about four feet high. Stanley followed him. The apartment was similar to the last, but narrower; and was lighted by an opening not more than a foot square. "See, Meinik, there is a staircase, in the corner facing us."
They went on until they entered the forest, and there set to work to chop firewood. Meinik carried a tinderbox, and soon had a fire blazing, and by its side they piled a great stock of wood. "I do not know that there are any leopards so far south as this," he said, "but at any rate it will be safer to keep a big fire blazing.
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