her attire, that the
people burst into an earnestly enthusiastic shout, and began for the
first time to feel that this was no game or play, but a serious reality.

Things had been so arranged that Pina and Dr Marsh reached the foot of
the throne together. Then the latter took the pretty coral wreath off
the huge crown, and, to widow Lynch's felt, but not expressed,
indignation, placed _that_ on Pauline's head.

"Pauline Rigonda," he said in a loud voice, "I have been appointed by
the people of this island to crown you, in their name and by their
authority, as Queen of Refuge Islands, in the full belief that your
innocence and regard for truth and righteousness will be their best
guarantee that you will select as your assistants the men whom you think
best suited to aid you in the promotion of good government."

The serious tone of the doctor's voice, and the genuine shouts of
satisfaction from the people, put the poor little queen in such a
flutter that nearly all her courage forsook her, and she could scarcely
reply. Nevertheless, she had a mind of her own.

"Doctor Marsh, and my dear people," she said at last, "I--I scarcely
know how to reply. You overrate me altogether; but--but, if I rule at
all, I will do so by the blessed truths of this book (she held up a
Bible); and--and before taking a single step further I appoint as my--my
Prime Minister--if I may so call him--Joe Binney."

For one moment there was the silence of amazement, for neither Dominick
nor Dr Marsh knew of Pauline's intention. Only the widow Lynch had
been aware of her resolve. Next moment a hilarious cheer burst from the
crowd, and Teddy Malone, from his retreat, shouted, "God bliss the
Quane!" which infused hearty laughter into the cheer, whereupon Welsh
and Nobbs, thinking the right time had come, sent out of their tin
tubes, after a few ineffectual blurts, two terrific brays. Fearing to
be too late, one of the armed men let off his piece, which was the
signal for a grand _feu de joie_.

"Now for it," thought the chief conspirator in the bushes, as he applied
his light to the slow-match. He thought nothing more just then, for the
slow-match proved to be rather quick, fired the powder at once, and the
monster cannon, bursting with a hideous roar into a thousand pieces,
blew Otto through the bushes and down the mound, at the foot of which he
lay as one dead.

Consternation was on every face. The queen, dropping her crown, sprang
to