the
spectators, while Priscilla stood by Corny, to be on hand should she be
needed.

When all was ready, and Corny had felt in her pocket to see that the
"permission paper" was all right, I began my speech. It was the second
regular speech I had ever made,--the first one was at a school
celebration,--and I had studied it out pretty carefully. It was
intended, of course, for the negroes, but I really addressed the most of
it to Mrs. Chipperton, because I knew that she could understand a speech
better than any one else in the yard. When I had shown the matter up as
plainly as I knew how, and had given all the whys and wherefores, I made
a little stop for applause. But I didn't get any. They all stood waiting
to see what would happen next. As there was nothing more to say, I
nodded to Corny to clap on the crown. The moment she felt it on her
head, the queen stood up as straight as a hoe-handle, and looked quickly
from side to side. Then I called out in my best voice:

"Africans! Behold your queen!"

At this instant Rectus ran up the black flag with the yellow cog-wheel,
and we white people gave a cheer. As soon as they got a cue, the darkeys
knew what to do. They burst out into a wild yell, they waved their hats,
they laid down on the grass and kicked, they jumped, and danced, and
laughed, and screamed. I was afraid the queen would bolt, so I took a
quiet hold of her shawl. But she stood still until the crowd cooled down
a little, and then she made a courtesy and sat down.

"Is that all?" asked the neighbor-woman, after she had waited a few
moments.

"Yes," said I. "You can take her in."

When the queen had been led within doors, and while the crowd was still
in a state of wild commotion, I took a heavy bag of coppers from my
coat-pocket--where it had been worrying me all through the ceremony--and
gave it to Priscilla.

"Scatter that among the subjects," said I.

"Give 'em a big scr_ah_mble in the road?" said she, her eyes crackling
with delight.

"Yes," said I, and out she ran, followed by the whole kingdom. We white
folk stood inside to watch the fun. Priscilla threw out a handful of
pennies, and the darkeys just piled themselves up in the road on top of
the money. You could see nothing but madly waving legs. The mass heaved
and tossed and moved from one side of the road to the other. The Lord
High Chancellor was at the bottom of the heap, while the _Hof-rath_
wiggled his bare feet high in the air. Every fel