the queen of the pirate isle-第5章

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ready　for　speech。　　Polly；　who　had　closely　followed　the　story；
albeit　with　the　embellishments　of　her　own　imagination；　made　her
eyes　rounder　than　ever。　　A　bland　smile　broke　on　Wan　Lee's　face；　as
to　the　children's　amazement；　he　quietly　disengaged　himself　from　the
group　and　stepped　before　the　leader。

〃Melican　man　plenty　foolee　Melican　chillern。　　No　foolee　China　boy！
China　boy　knowee　you。　　YOU　no　Led　Lofer。　　YOU　no　Pilatyou　allee
same　tunnel…manyou　Bob　Johnson！　　Me　shabbee　you！　　You　dressee　up
allee　same　as　Led　Loferbut　you　Bob　Johnsonallee　same。　　My　fader
washee　washee　for　you。　　You　no　payee　him。　　You　owee　him　folty
dolla！　　Me　blingee　you　billee。　　You　no　payee　billee！　　You　say；
'Chalkee　up；　John。'　　You　say；　'Bimeby；　John。'　　But　me　no　catchee
folty　dolla！〃

A　roar　of　laughter　followed；　in　which　even　the　leader　apparently
forgot　himself　enough　to　join。　　But　the　next　moment　springing　to
his　feet　he　shouted；　〃Ho！　ho！　　A　traitor！　　Away　with　him　to　the
deepest　dungeon　beneath　the　castle　moat！〃

Hickory　and　Patsey　began　to　whimper；　but　Polly；　albeit　with　a
tremulous　lip；　stepped　to　the　side　of　her　little　Pagan　friend。
〃Don't　you　dare　touch　him；〃　she　said　with　a　shake　of　unexpected
determination　in　her　little　curly　head；　〃if　you　do；　I'll　tell　my
father；　and　he　will　slay　you！　　All　of　youthere！〃

〃Your　father！　　Then　you　are　NOT　the　Queen！〃

It　was　a　sore　struggle　to　Polly　to　abdicate　her　royal　position；　it
was　harder　to　do　it　with　befitting　dignity。　　To　evade　the　direct
question　she　was　obliged　to　abandon　her　defiant　attitude。　　〃If　you
please；　sir；〃　she　said　hurriedly；　with　an　increasing　color　and　no
stops；　〃we're　not　always　Pirates；　you　know；　and　Wan　Lee　is　only　our
boy　what　brushes　my　shoes　in　the　morning；　and　runs　of　errands；　and
he　doesn't　mean　anything　bad；　sir；　and　we'd　like　to　take　him　back
home　with　us。〃

〃Enough；〃　said　the　leader；　changing　his　entire　manner　with　the　most
sudden　and　shameless　inconsistency。　　〃You　shall　go　back　together；
and　woe　betide　the　miscreant　who　would　prevent　it！　　What　say　you；
brothers？　　What　shall　be　his　fate　who　dares　to　separate　our　noble
Queen　from　her　faithful　Chinese　henchman？〃

〃He　shall　die！〃　roared　the　others；　with　beaming　cheerfulness。

〃And　what　say　youshall　we　see　them　home？〃

〃We　will！〃　roared　the　others。

Before　the　children　could　fairly　comprehend　what　had　passed；　they
were　again　lifted　into　the　truck　and　began　to　glide　back　into　the
tunnel　they　had　just　quitted。　　But　not　again　in　darkness　and
silence；　the　entire　band　of　Red　rovers　accompanied　them；
illuminating　the　dark　passage　with　the　candles　they　had　snatched
from　the　walls。　　In　a　few　moments　they　were　at　the　entrance　again。
The　great　world　lay　beyond　them　once　more　with　rocks　and　valleys
suffused　by　the　rosy　light　of　the　setting　sun。　　The　past　seemed
like　a　dream。

But　were　they　really　awake　now？　　They　could　not　tell。　　They
accepted　everything　with　the　confidence　and　credulity　of　all
children　who　have　no　experience　to　compare　with　their　first
impressions　and　to　whom　the　future　contains　nothing　impossible。　　It
was　without　surprise；　therefore；　that　they　felt　themselves　lifted
on　the　shoulders　of　the　men　who　were　making　quite　a　procession
along　the　steep　trail　towards　the　settlement　again。　　Polly　noticed
that　at　the　mouth　of　the　other　tunnels　they　were　greeted　by　men　as
if　they　were　carrying　tidings　of　great　joy；　that　they　stopped　to
rejoice　together；　and　that　in　some　mysterious　manner　their
conductors　had　got　their　faces　washed；　and　had　become　more　like
beings　of　the　outer　world。　　When　they　neared　the　settlement　the
excitement　seemed　to　have　become　greater；　people　rushed　out　to
shake　hands　with　the　men　who　were　carrying　them；　and　overpowered
even　the　children　with　questions　they　could　not　understand。　　Only
one　sentence　Polly　could　clearly　remember　as　being　the　burden　of
all　congratulations。　　〃Struck　the　old　lead　at　last！〃　　With　a　faint
consciousness　that　she　knew　something　about　it；　she　tried　to　assume
a　dignified　attitude　on　the　leader's　shoulders；　even　while　she　was
beginning　to　be　heavy　with　sleep。

And　then　she　remembered　a　crowd　near　her　father's　house；　out　of
which　her　father　came　smiling　pleasantly　on　her；　but　not
interfering　with　her　triumphal　progress　until　the　leader　finally
deposited　her　in　her　mother's　lap　in　their　own　sitting…room。　　And
then　she　remembered　being　〃cross；〃　and　declining　to　answer　any
questions；　and　shortly　afterwards　found　herself　comfortably　in　bed。
Then　she　heard　her　mother　say　to　her　father：

〃It　really　seems　too　ridiculous　for　anything；　John；　the　idea　of
those　grown　men　dressing　themselves　up　to　play　with　children。〃

〃Ridiculous　or　not；〃　said　her　father；　〃these　grown　men　of　the
Excelsior　mine　have　just　struck　the　famous　old　lode　of　Red
Mountain；　which　is　as　good　as　a　fortune　to　everybody　on　the　Ridge；
and　were　as　wild　as　boys！　　And　they　say　it　never　would　have　been
found　if　Polly　hadn't　tumbled　over　the　slide　directly　on　top　of　the
outcrop；　and　left　the　absurd　wig　of　that　wretched　doll　of　hers　to
mark　its　site。〃

〃And　that；〃　murmured　Polly　sleepily　to　her　doll　as　she　drew　it
closer　to　her　breast；　〃is　all　that　they　know　of　it。〃







End