I hate people who interfere with other people's business! "Unless I am very much mistaken your fishing friend is the Hither woman brought here a few days ago as tribute to Ar-hap." "Well," I answered, getting into a nice temper, for I had been very much harrassed of late, "put it at that.

What would you do if it were so ?" "Call up my rain-drunk guards, and give you in charge as a thief caught meddling with the king's property." "Thanks, but as my interviews with Ar-hap have already begun to grow tedious, we will settle this little matter here between ourselves at once." And without more to-do I closed with him.

There was a brief scuffle and then I got in a blow upon his jaw which sent the harbour master flying back head over heels amongst the sugar bales and potatoes.
Without waiting to see how he fared I ran down the steps, jumped on board, loosened the rope, and pushed out into the river.

But my heart was angry and sore, for I knew, as turned out to be the case, that our secret was one no more; in a short time we should have the savage king in pursuit, and now there was nothing for it but headlong flight with only a small chance of getting away to distant Seth.
Luckily the harbour master lay insensible until he was found at dawn, so that we had a good start, and the moment the canoe passed from the arcade-like approach to the town the current swung her head automatically seaward, and away we went down stream at a pace once more filling me with hope..