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Finally, after much questioning, I got the thing through my head. It appears that

the line of descent is through the women. A man is merely head of his wife's

family--that is all. If she chances to be the oldest female member of the "royal"

house, he is king. Very naively the girl explained that there was seldom any

doubt as to whom a child's mother was.

This accounted for the girl's importance in the community and for Buckingham's

anxiety to claim her, though she told me that she did not wish to become his

woman, for he was a bad man and would make a bad king. But he was powerful,

and there was no other man who dared dispute his wishes.

Why not come with me," I suggested, "if you do not wish to become

Buckingham's?"

"Where would you take me?" she asked.

Where, indeed! I had not thought of that. But before I could reply to her

question she shook her head and said, "No, I cannot leave my people. I must stay

and do my best, even if Buckingham gets me, but you must go at once. Do not

wait until it is too late. The lions have had no offering for a long time, and

Buckingham would seize upon the first stranger as a gift to them."

I did not perfectly understand what she meant, and was about to ask her when a

heavy body leaped upon me from behind, and great arms encircled my neck. I

struggled to free myself and turn upon my antagonist, but in another instant I

was overwhelmed by a half dozen powerful, half-naked men, while a score of

others surrounded me, a couple of whom seized the girl.

I fought as best I could for my liberty and for hers, but the weight of numbers

was too great, though I had the satisfaction at least of giving them a good fight.

When they had overpowered me, and I stood, my hands bound behind me, at the

girl's side, she gazed commiseratingly at me.

"It is too bad that you did not do as I bid you," she said, "for now it has happened

just as I feared--Buckingham has you."

Which is Buckingham?" I asked.

I am Buckingham," growled a burly, unwashed brute, swaggering truculently

before me. "And who are you who would have stolen my woman?"

The girl spoke up then and tried to explain that I had not stolen her; but on the

contrary I had saved her from the men from the "Elephant Country" who were

carrying her away.

The Lost Continent