Moreover, two men were told off to feed and care for the noble brutes, who soon became very great pets indeed, with all hands.
The larger of the two might well have been called immense or colossal. He seemed especially fond of Frank, and there wasn't a titbit Frank could think of that he did not bring to Ju-ju of a morning.
Ju-ju was certainly grateful. He had one very curious method of showing his gratitude, namely, by encircling the boy with his trunk and swaying him up and down, and to and fro.
"Gently, Ju-ju," Frank would say sometimes; "gently, Ju, old man."
Then Ju would set him quietly down and trumpet with delight.
But as soon as it was dark, all was generally peaceful enough about the fort, for after a residence of some months in king Goo-Goo's country they had got quite used to the cry of wild beasts, and even the roar of lions did not disturb their slumbers.
But the nugget and the diamond--oh! these indeed. Duncan's eyes used to sparkle with delight as they were placed upon the table of an evening.
What possibilities did they not point to! What joy for the future seemed to scintillate from the diamond! One night something that the king had said during his visit to the fort suddenly flashed across Frank's memory.
He almost startled both Conal and Duncan by the eagerness with which he almost shouted:
"Cousins!" he cried, "I have the happiest thought that ever I had. Do you not remember that the king refused to come into the fort because devils dwelt in a hole beneath the floor!"
"Duncan, those devils are diamonds, and, it may be, gold nuggets as well."
His comrades were thunder-struck apparently, but they admitted that in all likelihood Frank's surmise was correct.
"Then, boys," said Frank, "we shall open a devil hole right here where we sit."
This proposal was agreed to, and the work would have commenced the very next day had not a strange adventure happened to Frank.
It may be observed that mostly all the terrible adventures did happen to Frank. Some people are born unlucky, you know.
But next forenoon Duncan and he had gone towards the forest for the purpose of shooting hyenas, no great or very exalted sport, it is true, but they had become numerous and bold of late, and needed scattering.