would try to trace the winding red ribbon of road that was continually losing itself among the dense pines of the opposite mountains; here she would listen to the far off strokes of a woodman’s axe, or the rattle of some heavy waggon, miles away, crossing the pebbles of a dried up water course.  Here, too, the prevailing colours of the mountains, red and white and green, most showed themselves.  There were no frowning rocks to depress the children’s fancy, but everywhere along the ridge pure white quartz bared itself through the red earth like smiling teeth, the very pebbles they played with were streaked with shining mica like bits of looking-glass.  The distance was always green and summer-like, but the colour they most loved, and which was most familiar to them, was the dark red of the ground beneath their feet everywhere.  It showed itself in the roadside bushes; its red dust pervaded the leaves of the overhanging laurel, it coloured their shoes and pinafores; I am afraid it was often seen in Indian like patches on their faces and hands.  That it may have often given a sanguinary tone to their fancies, I have every reason to believe.

[Illustration]

It was on this ridge that the three children gathered at ten o’clock that morning.  An earlier flight had been impossible on account of Wan Lee being obliged to perform his regular duty of blacking the shoes of Polly and Hickory before breakfast,—­a menial act which in the pure Republic of childhood was never thought inconsistent with the loftiest piratical ambition.  On the ridge they met one “Patsey,” the son of a neighbour, sun burned, broad-brimmed hatted, red handed, like themselves.  As there were afterwards some doubts expressed whether he joined the Pirates of his own free will, or was captured by them, I endeavour to give the colloquy exactly as it occurred:—­

Patsey. “Hallo, fellers.”

The Pirates. “Hello!”

Patsey. “Goin’ to hunt bars?  Dad seed a lot o’ tracks at sun up.”

The Pirates (hesitating).  “No—­o—­”

Patsey. “I am; know where I kin get a six-shooter.”

The Pirates (almost ready to abandon piracy for bear hunting, but preserving their dignity).  “Can’t!  We’ve runn’d away for real pirates.”

Patsey. “Not for good!”

The Queen (interposing with sad dignity and real tears in her round blue eyes).  “Yes!” (slowly and shaking her head).  “Can’t go back again.  Never!  Never!  Never!  The—­the—­eye is cast!”

Patsey (bursting with excitement).  “No’o!  Sho’o!  Wanter know.”

The Pirates (a little frightened themselves, but tremulous with gratified vanity).  “The Perleese is on our track!”

Patsey. “Lemme go with yer!”

Hickory. “Wot’ll yer giv?”

Patsey. “Pistol and er bananer.”

Hickory (with judicious prudence).  “Let’s see ’em.”