The
younger men made nets, mended weapons, or shaped stones for their
slings. The natives in this island did not appear to understand the
use of the bow and arrow, their only weapons being clubs, slings, and
spears. The spears were made of hard wood, polished and inlaid with
pearl shell and beaten gold. The slings were of plaited fibre, the
stones being rounded like an egg. The clubs were of various shapes,
some with rounded heads, and others bent and pointed like a pick.
CHAPTER XVIII
A QUEEN'S FAVOURITE
Three days after my coming to the Island of Gems I discovered, to my
embarrassment, that Queen Melannie regarded me with more than royal
favour. It had been her custom to seclude herself from her people
except upon occasions, but now she preferred to walk with me daily upon
the cliffs, or among the rich foliage, which made a natural garden in
the valleys. None molested us, for those to whom the queen showed
favour were taboo to the rest of the tribe, so that as long as I
retained her goodwill I was safe. But who would be dependent upon a
woman's whim?
"You do not love me, Peter," she said, for I had told her my name, "not
as I love you.
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