frightened, a little astonished, but with a considerable accession
to her dignity. Hickory and Patsey looked on with stupefied
amazement. Wan Lee alone remained stolid and unimpressed, regarding
the scene with calm and triangular eyes.
"Will Your Majesty see the Red Rover's dance?"
"No, if you please," said Polly, with gentle seriousness.
"Will Your Majesty fire this barrel of Gunpowder, or tap this
breaker of Grog?"
"No, I thank you."
"Is there no command Your Majesty would lay upon us?"
"No, please," said Polly, in a failing voice.
"Is there anything Your Majesty has lost? Think again! Will Your
Majesty deign to cast your royal eyes on this?"
He drew from under his buffalo robe what seemed like a long tress of
blond hair, and held it aloft. Polly instantly recognized the
missing scalp of her hapless doll.
"If you please, Sir, it's Lady Mary's. She's lost it."
"And lost it--Your Majesty--only to find something more precious!
Would Your Majesty hear the story?"
A little alarmed, a little curious, a little self-anxious, and a
little induced by the nudges and pinches of her companions, the
Queen blushingly signified her royal assent.
"Enough. Bring refreshments. Will Your Majesty prefer winter-green,
peppermint, rose, or accidulated drops? Red or white? Or perhaps
Your Majesty will let me recommend these bull's eyes," said the
leader, as a collection of sweets in a hat were suddenly produced
from the barrel labelled "Gunpowder" and handed to the children.
"Listen," he continued, in a silence broken only by the gentle
sucking of bull's eyes. "Many years ago the old Red Rovers of these
parts locked up all their treasures in a secret cavern in this
mountain. They used spells and magic to keep it from being entered
or found by anybody, for there was a certain mark upon it made by a
peculiar rock that stuck out of it, which signified what there was
below. Long afterwards, other Red Rovers who had heard of it, came
here and spent days and days trying to discover it; digging holes
and blasting tunnels like this, but of no use! Sometimes they
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