
The Hindustan was hopping from foot to foot and gesticulating towards the elephant enclosure where I presently lay undiscovered. What was he trying to say? I caught Humphreys' next words and my blood froze. "If the Duke were to hear of you taking his Lisbon Wine, he would skin you alive, scurvy dog!" Oh dear, I thought, they've woken up to the dropping of the Port stocks, but fingered the wrong fellow. Does the Hindustan know I am but a few feet away? Does he know, is that why he is pointing and squeaking thus? I knew that I had to intervene, but fearing mutiny, I dared not let the men suspect me of drinking their Lisbon Wine.
I resolved to action, and letting my blunderbuss make my entrance I aimed above the pair of them and pulled the trigger. "Ho!" I called, "What is this talk of Lisbon Wine?" Darwin ambled at my side as I revealed myself from the elephant enclosure. (I should note that the elephants were no more startled by my eruption than they would have been by my smoking a pipe. Calm under fire, that's what I look for in a hunting steed.) Humphreys looked rare pleased to see me arrive and started to speak. "Stay your tongue!", I commanded. The Hindustan started to jabber and chirrup in my general direction. Thinking on my feet I ...
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