our escape from
death, added color to the fabric of unreality whose warp was romance,
and whose woof was the mystifying surge of human impulses. So my
vacillating spirits rebounded to the pinnacle of happiness and, raising
my hand, I announced in a loud voice:

"Gentlemen, Her Serene Highness, Doloria, Princess of Azuria!"

Except for Echochee, they stopped and in frank amazement gazed at her.
Flushed by the excitements that had made this day memorable, she was
indeed the most adorable sovereign before whom knights had e'er sworn
fealty. But the old Indian woman, with an undisguised croon of delight,
went straight to her side, folded her in aged, brown arms of iron, and
faced the waiting men with a look of defiance. She did not comprehend
all that was passing, but distinctly wanted it understood that no one
should touch her child.

After that they were all about her, even Bilkins and the two sailors
asking to shake hands and hear from her own lips the story of what had
happened. She recognized Gates as "the splendid captain who found the
bomb," and he blushed like a little boy. Monsieur, of course, could not
bring himself to treat her with anything less than royal deference, so
he kneeled and kissed her hand. I saw her look at the back of it when he
arose, and then search his face--he had left a tear which she seemed
unwilling to brush off. Tommy, not content with one hand, took both; and
these he shook until she burst out laughing. As a matter of fact, we
were all laughing a few degrees immoderately. Then, without warning, the
strain became too much. Her eyes suddenly filled, her lips began to
tremble. Turning impulsively, she put an arm across Echochee's shoulders
and together they walked toward the spring, leaving us silent.

Old Gates rubbed his chin and looked up at the sky, saying huskily:

"My word, it's going to rain!" And, although there was no cloud in
sight, Tommy said he thought so, too.

Thus the spell was broken and, with a more dismal duty to be performed,
we sent for Smilax to bring the camp spade--leaving Monsieur to find
Doloria and talk with her, for I had excused him from the contract Tommy
made aboard the _Whim_, wanting to remove uncertainties as soon as
possible.

Gates entered a careful record in his notebook of identification marks
on the three men we found dead. Our joint statement would be sufficient
for the law in such a case as this, especially as Monsieur knew there
was a price on