Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17

was going home, as he had been ordered
by the strutting chamberlain. He was
thinking how he never again should see ms
kind little Princess Pistafls.
Because he was sorry and fearful, MS
eyes were on the ground. and he saw !.
rubber ring lying in his path. He picked 1t
He was manly little fellow and did
not want anybody at home to see tears in
his eyes, 30 he went down to the shore
and heisted his wee sail, and. although 1t
The motion of the waves luised him to
sleep. Tho day passed into night The
boat rocked farther and farther away. and
Chris dreamed that strange thing hap
pened. A long line Of black shadow ships
seemed to be following In his wake. They
came silently ON, ooeying his every turn
as though his boat were their rudder.
Across the high bows rows OF white scared
faces peered at him, their lips moving in
frightened whispers. At last In the still
night he caught the strange words:
The rubber ring! The rubber ring!
Cold and shivering, he Weakened and
looked around His dream was true! Sure
enough. there were the black ships. the
white. scared faces and the softly whis-
pered words. He puts his hand into his pock-
ct and felt the rubber ring he had put
there Then. swiftly homeward he turned
his tiny craft; swiftly. too. turned the
great black feet.
The morning broke. A bright crowd of
wondering people stood on the shore watch
ing wee brown boat bobbfnG over the
waves with all the pirate fleet in tow.
Nearer and nearer 1t came and great,
glad cheer went up from all the kings men
when they recognized the shining head OF
Chris, the little hsherboy. You see, every
body knew Chris and loved hfn-everybody
but the saiiow. puffed-up chamberlain, who
couldn't see anything beyond the end of
his old nose, any how.
Somebody ran and told the story to the
king, who sat up in bed with his red night
cap on and rubbed his eyes,
Well. well! You don't say! Well,
well" he yawned. trying to wake up.
Bring the boy to me with the leader of
the pirate band. Let there be rejoicing
throughout the land, for from its most
dreaded foe 1t Is at last delivered!
SO Chris washed his face and went up to
the court with the big black-haired pirate.
who seemed ridiculously afraid of him,
and he was SO little!
WELL weil-' cried the king, quite awake,
as Chris finished his simple story and put
his hand into his pocket to show the people
the rubber ring.
why, it isn't there!' he said.
And this Is the reason 1t wasn't there,
for it Is the story the pirate told before the
king, which you may believe or not, just
as you choose:
Once upon a time the captain of all the
pirates upon all the seas was wicked
wizard. The very instant he stepped upon
a deck strange power entered into that
ship and 1t drew and held In Its wake every
boat in sight. More cruel and more wicked
feared him. At last, when he was dying,
a bright spirit came and condemned his
soul to be bound in rubber ring. Never
could it be free until some one by chance
found it, and all unknownfng, should lead
his ships into the captivity of the people
he had so often wronged-the subjects of
the King of Borderland.
The night before as the men were plan
ming to pillage the coast. they felt the old
familiar power drawing their ships, and
pale with fear they remembered the soul
in the rubber ring.
The king knew the rest.
So he did He gave the pirates to the
people that they might make good citizens
of them To the boy Chris, he offered his
daughter, the Princess Pigtails and half
his crown. (Hed thought it all over and
decided that it was wiser than giving the
whole, and so it was, SO it was.)
But Christ did not seem overjoyed with
the gifts. He said he thought the crown
must be heavy, and he guessed he'd rather
go home and white out a ship like the
biggest one of the pirate feet. He prom
Used to come up sometimes. when he felt
like it, to make mud pies in the back yard
with Pigtails, but he didn't think he would
like to have a girl around all the time.