ought of such a thing.

A door of iron bars at the foot of the long flight of steps--there were
four of them--stood open. Here daylight, which had been growing fainter,
entirely ceased. And here Bobby, having replaced his mask, placed an
air-rifle over his shoulder, and lighted a candle and held it out to the
Crown Prince.

"You can carry it," he said. "Only don't let it drip on you. You'll
spoil your clothes." There was a faintly scornful note in his voice, and
Ferdinand William Otto was quick to hear it.

"I don't care at all about my clothes," he protested. And to prove it
he deliberately tilted the candle and let a thin stream of paraffin run
down his short jacket.

"You're a pretty good sport," Bobby observed. And from that time on he
addressed His Royal Highness as "old sport."

"Walk faster, old sport," he would say. "That candle's pretty short, and
we've got a long way to go." Or--"Say, old sport, I'll make you a mask
like this, if you like. I made this one."

When they reached the old dungeon the candle was about done. There was
only time to fashion another black mask out of a piece of cloth that
bore a strange resemblance to a black waistcoat. The Crown Prince donned
this with a wildly beating heart. Never in all his life had he been so
excited. Even Dick Deadeye was interested, and gave up his scenting of
the strange footsteps that he had followed through the passage, to watch
the proceedings.

"We can get another candle, and come back and cook something," said the
senior pirate, tying the mask on with Pieces of brown string. "It gets
pretty smoky, but I can cook, you'd better believe."

So this wonderful boy could cook, also! The Crown Prince had never met
any one with so many varied attainments. He gazed through the eyeholes,
which were rather too far apart, in rapt admiration.

"As you haven't got a belt," Bobby said generously, "I'll give you the
rifle. Ever hold a gun?"

"Oh, yes," said the Crown Prince. He did not explain that he had been
taught to shoot on the rifle-range of his own regiment, and had won
quite a number of medals. He possessed, indeed, quite a number of small
but very perfect guns.

With the last gasp of the candle, the children prepared to depart. The
senior pirate had already forgotten the two men he had trailed through
the passage, and was eager to get outdoors.

"Ready!" he said. "Now, remember, old sport, we are pirates. No quarter,
except to women and children. Shoo