English
Thenextdaywesetoutforthefarendoftheisland,andreachingitincanoes(forwewentbysea)afterajourneyoftwenty-fivehours,weremainednolongerthanwasnecessaryintheCityofBag-jagderag.
WhenhethrewhimselfintothatfightatPopsipetel,IsawtheDoctorreallyangryforthefirsttimeinmylife.
Buthisanger,oncearoused,wasslowtodie.
Allthewaydownthecoastoftheislandheneverceasedtorailagainstthiscowardlypeoplewhohadattackedhisfriends,thePopsipetels,fornootherreasonbuttorobthemoftheircorn,becausetheyweretooidletotillthelandthemselves.
AndhewasstillangrywhenhereachedtheCityofBag-jagderag.
LongArrowhadnotcomewithusforhewasasyettooweakfromhiswound.
ButtheDoctor—alwayscleveratlanguages—wasalreadygettingfamiliarwiththeIndiantongue.
Besides,amongthehalf-dozenPopsipetelswhoaccompaniedustopaddlethecanoes,wasoneboytowhomwehadtaughtalittleEnglish.
HeandtheDoctorbetweenthemmanagedtomakethemselvesunderstoodtotheBag-jagderags.
Thispeople,withtheterribleparrotsstillblackeningthehillsabouttheirstonetown,waitingforthewordtodescendandattack,were,wefound,inaveryhumblemood.
Leavingourcanoeswepassedupthemainstreettothepalaceofthechief.
BumpoandIcouldn'thelpsmilingwithsatisfactionaswesawhowthewaitingcrowdswhichlinedtheroadwaybowedtheirheadstotheground,asthelittle,round,angryfigureoftheDoctorstruttedaheadofuswithhischinintheair.
Atthefootofthepalace-stepsthechiefandallthemoreimportantpersonagesofthetribewerewaitingtomeethim,smilinghumblyandholdingouttheirhandsinfriendliness.
TheDoctortooknottheslightestnotice.
Hemarchedrightbythem,upthestepstothedoorofthepalace.
Thereheturnedaroundandatoncebegantoaddressthepeopleinafirmvoice.
Ineverheardsuchaspeechinmylife—andIamquitesurethattheyneverdideither.
Firsthecalledthemalongstringofnames:cowards,loafers,thieves,vagabonds,good-for-nothings,bulliesandwhatnot.
Thenhesaidhewasstillseriouslythinkingofallowingtheparrotstodrivethemonintothesea,inorderthatthispleasantlandmightberid,onceforall,oftheirworthlesscarcases.
Atthisagreatcryformercywentup,andthechiefandallofthemfellontheirknees,callingoutthattheywouldsubmittoanyconditionsofpeacehewished.
ThentheDoctorcalledforoneoftheirscribes—thatis,amanwhodidpicture-writing.
AndonthestonewallsofthepalaceofBag-jagderaghebadehimwritedownthetermsofthepeaceashedictatedit.
ThispeaceisknownasThePeaceofTheParrots,and—unlikemostpeaces—was,andis,strictlykept—eventothisday.
Itwasquitelonginwords.Thehalfofthepalace-frontwascoveredwithpicture-writing,andfiftypotsofpaintwereused,beforethewearyscribehaddone.
Butthemainpartofitallwasthatthereshouldbenomorefighting;andthatthetwotribesshouldgivesolemnpromisetohelponeanotherwhenevertherewascorn-famineorotherdistressinthelandsbelongingtoeither.
ThisgreatlysurprisedtheBag-jagderags.TheyhadexpectedfromtheDoctor'sangryfacethathewouldatleastchopacoupleofhundredheadsoff—andprobablymaketherestofthemslavesforlife.
Butwhentheysawthatheonlymeantkindlybythem,theirgreatfearofhimchangedtoatremendousadmiration.
Andasheendedhislongspeechandwalkedbrisklydownthestepsagainonhiswaybacktothecanoes,thegroupofchieftainsthrewthemselvesathisfeetandcried,"Dobutstaywithus.
GreatLord,andalltherichesofBag-jagderagshallbepouredintoyourlap.
Gold-minesweknowofinthemountainsandpearl-bedsbeneaththesea.
Onlystaywithus,thatyourall-powerfulwisdommayleadourCouncilandourpeopleinprosperityandpeace."
TheDoctorhelduphishandforsilence.
"Noman,"saidhe,"wouldwishtobetheguestoftheBag-jagderagstilltheyhadprovedbytheirdeedsthattheyareanhonestrace.
BetruetothetermsofthePeaceandfromyourselvesshallcomegoodgovernmentandprosperity—Farewell!"
ThenheturnedandfollowedbyBumpo,thePopsipetelsandmyself,walkedrapidlydowntothecanoes.
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