atched them gravely.

"I wish," said Prince Ferdinand William Otto, "that I might have a dog."

"A dog! Why?"

"Well, it would be company. Dogs are very friendly. Yesterday I met a
boy who has a dog. It sleeps on his bed at night."

"You have a good many things, you know," Nikky argued. "You've got a
dozen horses, for one thing."

"But a dog's different." He felt the difference, but he could not put
it into words. "And I'd rather have only one horse. I'd get better
acquainted with it."

Nikky looked back. Although it had been the boast of the royal family
for a century that it could go about unattended, that its only danger
was from the overzeal of the people in showing their loyalty, not since
the death of Prince Hubert had this been true in fact. No guards or
soldiers accompanied them, but the secret police were always near at
hand. So Nikky looked, made sure that a man in civilian clothing
was close at their heels, and led the way across the Square to the
riding-school.

A small crowd lined up and watched the passing of the little Prince. As
he passed, men lifted their hats and women bowed. He smiled right and
left, and, took two short steps to one of Nikky's long ones.

"I have a great many friends," he said with a sigh of content, as they
neared the riding-school. "I suppose I don't really need a dog."

"Look here," said Nikky, after a pause. He was not very quick in
thinking things out. He placed, as a fact, more reliance on his right
arm than on his brain. But once he had thought a thing out, it
stuck. "Look here, Highness, you didn't treat your friends very well
yesterday."

"I know;" said Prince Ferdinand William Otto meekly. But Prince
Ferdinand William Otto had thought out a defense. "I got back all right,
didn't I?" He considered. "It was worth it. A policeman shook me!"

"Which policeman?" demanded Nikky in a terrible tone, and in his fury
quite forgot the ragging he had prepared for Otto.

"I think I'll not tell you, if you don't mind. And I bought a fig lady.
I've saved the legs for you."

Fortune smiled on Nikky that day. Had, indeed, been smiling daily for
some three weeks. Singularly enough, the Princess Hedwig, who had been
placed on a pony at the early age of two, and who had been wont to boast
that she could ride any horse in her grandfather's stables, was taking
riding-lessons. From twelve to one--which was, also singularly, the time
Prince Ferdinand William Otto and Nikky rode in t