with no
success.

Cricket set the skull upon the high stone which Kenneth had been using
for a pulpit.

"Look, Eunice! It looks just like an idol, sitting up there and
grinning. Oh, let's play we're idollers ourselves and worship it! We'll
build a shrine for it, and we'll offer it sacrifices. Come on!" and
Cricket, with her usual energy, fell to work instantly, building stones
up for an altar.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE JABBERWOCK.

"Let me help build up the shrime, too," said Zaidee, bringing up stones
also. "I want to offer sacrumfices."

"You and Helen bring a lot of dried seaweed to decorate it," said
Cricket, working busily. "That's right, Kenneth. Bring all the pretty
shells you can, and we'll put them all around the sides. Look, Eunice!
doesn't it look fine already!"

They had built up the "shrime" to a large square pile, about two feet
high, on the top of which the grinning skull reposed. The dry seaweed
draped the rough stones, and Kenneth's shells were arranged about it.

"Now we must begin to offer sacrifices," said Cricket. "We _must_ have
dishevelled hair, Eunice, as the women always do in stories. I can't
muss mine up much more than it always is," regretfully, "but you can
take your braid out, and throw your hair all around. Oh, that's
_lovely_!" as Eunice loosened her heavy, dark braid, and threw the
long, straight masses all about. "How beautifully dishevelled you are!"

"I'm glad I don't have to offer sacrifices every day," laughed Eunice,
"for dishevelled hair is _not_ comfortable, at least as dishevelled as
this. Perhaps I wouldn't mind a little bit of it."

"Come here, Zaidee, if you wish to join the procession," and Eunice
caught her small sister, and rubbed her hands vigorously over her short,
soft, straight hair, till it fairly stood on end. Helen's hair curled
like Cricket's, in a golden, fluffy mass.

"Now, we're all ready. We must march up before the shrine, and lay our
sacrifices at the feet of the idol, and bow down before it."

"It hasn't any foots," observed Zaidee.

"Well, before its mouth, then. It's just as 'propriate, I guess. Come
over here, and get into line, Eunice. You go first and I'll follow, and
the children will come on behind. We must go up with weeping and wailing
and gnashing our teeth," said Cricket, getting Biblical.

"How do you gnash your tooths?" inquired Helen.

"I'll show you," said Cricket, immediately rolling her eyes, and
opening and shutting h