pirates. Say your prayers, and see
that you're up early to church to-morrow." It should be explained
that in deference to Polly's proficiency as a preacher, and probably
as a relief to their uneasy consciences, Divine Service had always
been held on the Island. But Wan Lee continued:--

"Me no shabbee Pilat _inside_ housee; me shabbee Pilat _outside_
housee. Spose you lun away longside Chinee boy--Chinee boy makee you
Pilat."

[Illustration]

Hickory softly scratched his leg while a broad, bashful smile,
almost closed his small eyes. "Wot!" he asked.

"Mebbee you too frightened to lun away. Melican boy's papa heap
lickee."

This last infamous suggestion fired the corsair's blood. "Dy'ar
think we daresent," said Hickory, desperately, but with an uneasy
glance at Polly. "I'll show yer to-morrow."

The entrance of Polly's mother at this moment put an end to Polly's
authority and dispersed the pirate band, but left Wan Lee's proposal
and Hickory's rash acceptance ringing in the ears of the Pirate
Queen. That evening she was unusually silent. She would have taken
Bridget, her nurse, into her confidence, but this would have
involved a long explanation of her own feelings, from which, like
all imaginative children, she shrank. She, however, made preparation
for the proposed flight by settling in her mind which of her two
dolls she would take. A wooden creature with easy going knees and
moveable hair seemed to be more fit for hard service and any
indiscriminate scalping that might turn up hereafter. At supper, she
timidly asked a question of Bridget. "Did ye ever hear the loikes uv
that, Ma'am," said the Irish handmaid with affectionate pride,
"Shure the darlint's head is filled noight and day with ancient
history. She's after asking me now if Queen's ever run away!" To
Polly's remorseful confusion here her good father equally proud of
her precocious interest and his own knowledge, at once interfered
with an unintelligible account of the abdication of various Queens
in history until Polly's head ached again. Well meant as it was, it
only settled in the child's mind that she must keep the awful secret
to herself and that no one could understand her.

[Illustration]

The eventful day dawned without any unusual sign of importance. It
was one of the cloudless summer days of the Californian foot hills,
bright, dry, and as the morning advanced, hot in the white sunshine.
The actual, prosaic house in which the Pirates app