The place was clean, Tom was glad to note.
The king, who was addressed by his subjects as Kosk, as nearly as
Tom could get it, asked some questions of Oom, who seemed to be the
chief of the hunters. Thereupon the man who had looked into Tom's
and Ned's tent that morning, and who had followed them into the
palace, began a recital of how he had found the little travelers.
Though Tom and his friends could not understand a word of the
language, it was comparatively easy to follow the narrative by the
gestures used.
Then the king asked several questions, others of the hunting party
were sent for and quizzed, and finally the ruler seemed satisfied,
for he rattled off a string of talk in his deep, booming voice.
Truly he was a magnificent specimen of manhood, being as I have
said, about ten feet tall, and built in proportion. On either side
of him, upon rude benches covered with soft jaguar skins, sat two
men, evidently his brothers, for they looked much like the king. One
was called Tola and the other Koku, for the ruler addressed them
from time to time, and seemed to be asking their advice.
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