'Very,'said Tegumai;'but it has ruined all my fishing for the day.Why,the whole dear,kind,nice,clean,quiet Tribe is here,Taffy.'
And so they were.First of all walked Teshumai Tewindrow and the Neolithic ladies,tightly holding on to the Stranger-man,whose hair was full of mud (although he was a Tewara).Behind them came the Head Chief,the Vice-Chief,the Deputy and Assistant Chiefs (all armed to the upper teeth),the Hetmans and Heads of Hundreds,Platoffs with their Platoons,and Dolmans with their Detachments;Woons,Neguses,and Akhoonds ranking in the rear (still armed to the teeth).Behind them was the Tribe in hierarchical order,from owners of four caves (one for each season),a private reindeer-run,and two salmon-leaps,to feudal and prognathous Villeins,semi-entitled to half a bearskin of winter nights,seven yards from the fire,and ad serfs,holding the reversion of a scraped marrow-bone under heriot (Aren't those beautiful words,Best Beloved?).They were all there,prancing and shouting,and they frightened every fish for twenty miles,and Tegumai thanked them in a fluid Neolithic oration.
Then Teshumai Tewindrow ran down and kissed and hugged Taffy very much indeed;but the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai took Tegumai by the top-knot feathers and shook him severely.
'Explain!Explain!Explain!'cried all the Tribe of Tegumai.
'Goodness'sakes alive!'said Tegumai.'Let go of my top-knot.
Can't a man break his carp-spear without the whole countryside descending on him?You're a very interfering people.'
'I don't believe you've brought my Daddy's black-handled spear after all,'said Taffy.'And what are you doing to my nice Stranger-man?'
They were thumping him by twos and threes and tens till his eyes turned round and round.He could only gasp and point at Taffy.
'Where are the bad people who speared you,my darling?'said Teshumai Tewindrow.
'There weren't any,'said Tegumai.'My only visitor this morning was the poor fellow that you are trying to choke.Aren't you well,or are you ill,O Tribe of Tegumai?'
'He came with a horrible picture,'said the Head Chief,--'a picture that showed you were full of spears.'
'Er-um-Pr'aps I'd better 'splain that I gave him that picture,'
said Taffy,but she did not feel quite comfy.
'You!'said the Tribe of Tegumai all together.
'Small-person-with-no-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked!You?'
'Taffy dear,I'm afraid we're in for a little trouble,'said her Daddy,and put his arm round her,so she didn't care.
'Explain!Explain!Explain!'said the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai,and he hopped on one foot.
