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hi there hissed lumpy filled with indignation that anyone should attempt to mount a pony from the right side |
stacy brown's left leg swung over the saddle |
where are they asked the boy |
keep a going and if you're lucky you'll run plumb into them was the jeering answer as the sleepy cowmen spurred their ponies on toward camp muttering their disapproval of taking along a bunch of boys on a cattle drive |
almost before the echoes of his voice had died away a shrill voice piped up from the tail end of the chuck wagon |
grub pi le grub pi le |
who is the wrangler this morning asked the foreman glancing about at his men |
a wrangler's a wrangler answered big foot stolidly |
he's a fellow who's all the time making trouble isn't he asked stacy innocently |
oh no this kind of a wrangler isn't laughed the foreman |
he's a trouble curer not a troublemaker except for himself |
pong tell the young gentlemen what would become of you if you were to serve bad meals to this outfit of cowpunchers |
how asked tad |
we had better start the drive this morning |
he no doubt would bring food of some kind with him |
with a shout the boys dashed pell mell to meet the pack train and falling in behind the slow moving burros urged them on with derisive shouts and sundry resounding slaps on the animals flanks |
cold water is the most nourishing thing we've touched since last night |
we did not it must have come to life some time during the night and dug its way out laughed tad |
and we've got a surprise for you announced stacy swelling with pride |
jam exclaimed chunky stretching his neck and eyeing the dish longingly |
now fall to young gentlemen directed the professor |
i am free to admit that i am hungry too |
he buried his biscuit under a layer of jam over which he spread a thick coating of honey |
president brown i withdraw my criticism i offer you my humble apologies |
i reckon there are smiled the guide we are in the bear country now |
yes the country is full of caves |
this announcement filled the boys with excitement |
but i know an old settler who will lend us his dog if it is not out |
supper having been finished the party gathered about the camp fire for their evening chat after which admonishing stacy to keep within his tent and not to go borrowing trouble the boys turned in for a sound sleep |
as yet they had been unable to attempt any fancy riding with their ponies owing to the rugged nature of the country through which they had been journeying |
the boys were now all anxiety to start while the ponies after their sunday rest were almost as full of life as were their owners |
the little animals were becoming more sure footed every day and ned said that before the trip was finished jimmie would be able to walk a slack rope |
an early start was made so that the party reached the promised table lands shortly before ten o'clock in the forenoon |
a temporary camp was quickly pitched |
the great green field surrounded on all sides by tall trees made the place an ideal one for their purpose |
it was a beautiful race the little indian ponies seeming to enter thoroughly into the spirit of the contest stretching themselves out to their full lengths and with heads on a level with their backs fairly flew across the great plot of green |
all agreed that tad's superior horsemanship alone had won the race for him |
galloping into camp the boy fetched his sombrero which he carried well out into the field and tossed away |
then bidding the boys ride up near the spot to watch him he drew off some ten rods and wheeling spurred his pony to a run |
grasping the pommel with the left hand he appeared to dive head first toward the ground |
they saw his long hair almost brush the grass one of his hands swept down and up and once more tad butler rose standing in his stirrups uttering a cowboy yell as he waved the sombrero on high |
the boys howled with delight that is all did save stacy brown |
tad is an experienced rider |
the first time he rode swiftly by it leaning over to look at the hat as he passed holding to the pommel firmly with his left hand |
what's that for demanded ned wonderingly |
hat too close to me i couldn't get it explained chunky the boys roared |
why don't you move the pony |
once more stacy approached the sombrero his pony running well and as he drew near it they saw him rise in his saddle just as tad butler had done a few minutes before |
at the moment when he freed his left foot from the stirrup he threw his body sharply to the right reaching for the hat without taking the precaution to grasp the pommel |
as a result instead of stopping when he reached the hat the boy kept on going |
it had no ornamentation being exceedingly plain in appearance |
here said one of their guides as the procession halted before the little stone building is the palace of tourmaline who is our queen |
what that little cabin |
exclaimed trot of course |
did you suppose a palace would be like one of our handsome residences asked the woman evidently surprised |
these intruders are very peculiar people remarked a man in the crowd |
they seem very ignorant poor things said another in reply |
the people must wait outside for there is no room for them in the palace |
so they followed her through the low archway and in a room beyond very simply furnished sat a young girl engaged in darning a pair of pink stockings |
she was a beautiful girl of about seventeen years of age not fat like all the rest of the pinkies but slender and well formed according to our own ideas of beauty |
her complexion was not a decided pink but a soft rosy tint not much deeper than that of trot's skin |
what is it coralie she asked the woman |
the queen gazed upon our friends with evident interest |
she smiled a little sadly at trot seemed to approve button bright's open frank face and was quite surprised because cap'n bill was so much bigger than her own people |
are you a giant |
perhaps you are trying to ridicule me she continued regarding the sailor's face closely |
there is nothing majestic about me as you know very well |
coralie do you consider majesty a proper word to use when addressing a queen |
even in america ever'body bows low to our president an the blueskins are so fraid o their boolooroo that they tremble whenever they go near him |
but surely that is all wrong said tourmaline gravely |
therefore i am a mere agent to direct the laws which are the will of the people and am only a public servant obliged constantly to guard the welfare of my subjects |
in that case said button bright you're entitled to the best there is to pay for your trouble |
if i lived as luxuriously as my people do and had servants and costly gowns the good pinkies would say that their queen had more than they themselves and it would be true |
no our way is best |
the queen has nothing but the power to execute the laws to adjust grievances and to compel order |
i have one great privilege |
after my death a pink marble statue of me will be set up in the grand court with the statues of the other kings and queens who have ruled this land and all the pinkies in ages to come will then honor me as having been a just and upright queen that is my reward |
a misfortune of birth placed me here and i cannot escape my fate |
it is much more desirable to be a private citizen happy and care free |
yes it was wet an sticky all right agreed the sailor but the big frog helped us an we got through all right |
you are not like my people the pinkies and there is no place for you in our country |
in all our history you are the first people from outside our borders who have ever stepped a foot in our land |
we do not hate you as you say the blueskins do nor are we savage or cruel but we do not want you here and i am really puzzled what to do with you |
i'll look in the great book first |
it was about noon when captain waverley entered the straggling village or rather hamlet of tully veolan close to which was situated the mansion of the proprietor |
the houses seemed miserable in the extreme especially to an eye accustomed to the smiling neatness of english cottages |
occasionally indeed when such a consummation seemed inevitable a watchful old grandam with her close cap distaff and spindle rushed like a sibyl in frenzy out of one of these miserable cells dashed into the middle of the path and snatching up her own charge from among the sunburnt loiterers saluted him with a sound cuf... |
the evil and remedy such as it is still exist but this is remote from our present purpose and is only thrown out for consideration of the collectors under mister dent's dog bill |
yet the physiognomy of the people when more closely examined was far from exhibiting the indifference of stupidity their features were rough but remarkably intelligent grave but the very reverse of stupid and from among the young women an artist might have chosen more than one model whose features and form resembled th... |
this avenue was straight and of moderate length running between a double row of very ancient horse chestnuts planted alternately with sycamores which rose to such huge height and nourished so luxuriantly that their boughs completely over arched the broad road beneath |
it was one of those effects which a painter loves to represent and mingled well with the struggling light which found its way between the boughs of the shady arch that vaulted the broad green alley |
the house which seemed to consist of two or three high narrow and steep roofed buildings projecting from each other at right angles formed one side of the inclosure |
it had been built at a period when castles were no longer necessary and when the scottish architects had not yet acquired the art of designing a domestic residence |
neither did the front indicate absolute security from danger |
stables and other offices occupied another side of the square |
two battlemented walls one of which faced the avenue and the other divided the court from the garden completed the inclosure |
this work of art was the wonder of the country ten miles round |
the court was spacious well paved and perfectly clean there being probably another entrance behind the stables for removing the litter |
everything around appeared solitary and would have been silent but for the continued plashing of the fountain and the whole scene still maintained the monastic illusion which the fancy of waverley had conjured up |
chapter thirty three a confidant |
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