Omaha daily bee., 1918-11-22
CHAPTER v.
Peggy Uses Her Dagger.

" dren on in their dance. The
musicians were three old Gypsies,
one with a violin, one with an &C
cordian and one on a either. On
these strangely assorted instruments
they produced wild fantasti melodies
that Peggy's feet could not resist.
She and Billy Belgium were carried
into the dance before they knew it.
1t was very queer, very giddy, very
gay. Peggy felt that she could go
on forever
The music told of sunbeams play
ing in the woods at dawn, of breezes
ripping through the leaves, of tiny
whirlwinds sweeping across the
summer fields, of gales raging at
sea, of wintry blasts roaring through
the tree tops. And as the music
told its changing story. Peggy dane
ed in harmony.
But once again came the warning
voice-this time from a tree above
the camp fire:
Beware the Gypsy charm,
1t threatens doleful harm"
Now Peggy saw who was warn-
ing her. 1t was Judge Owl. He was
seated in the shadows, but the flick
er of the arelight revealed him for
a moment.
Come on, Judge Owl, dance with
u.s." sang Peggy. Don't be an old
croaker-life's all joy and gladness.
"See the old owl! Shoot the old
OWL" shrieked the Gypsy children,
Peg saw who was warning her.
1t was Judge Owl.
hurting stones and sticks at him.
Peggy, to her great surprise, found
herself doing the same thing.
ooh, Princess Peggy, I'll have to
get you out of this awful spell in
spite of yourself" hooted Judge Owl
sadly, as he lodged a large stick
which she aimed at his head. Then
abruptly he diappeared.
Around and around danced the
Gypsy children in circle, with Peg
gy and Billy Belgium in the midst of
them. Suddenly big brown object
flashed past Peggy's head. She
lodged quickly and as she did so
she saw the object land in the long
hair of handsome, princely look
ing Gypsy boy just ahead of her;
The boy gave scream and whirled
around. The brown object mounted
quickly into the air, but Peggy saw
that it was Judge Owl.
"You pulled my hair" screeched
the Gypsy boy at Peggy. =.
81 didn't pull your hair" protested
Peggy, but she didn't say who did.
She wasn't going to tell on Judge
"You didw screamed the boy. "Il
teach you to pull my hair" and with
that he banged Peggy right in the
eye with his fist.
Peggy was astonished and hurt.
Never before in her life had she been
punched in the eye. She saw stars
and everything seemed in a whirl
around her. Before she could re-
cover herself, the young Gypsy
smashed his fist into her other eye.
Things spun around dizzier than be-
fore. Through her dizziness She saw
young tornado break loose, hitting
the Gypsy lad in fury and sending
him tumbling head over heels. The
young tornado was Billy Belgium.
In minute he was fighting all the
Gypsy boys and more than holding
his own.
Now Peggy discovered that the
punches she had received had driven
away the Gypsy's charm. She was
no longer under the spell. She saw
things as they were. The amour
disappeared from the Gypsy camp.
1t was no longer>a royal train. 1t
was just a squalid lot of gaudy tents
and time-worn vans. The Gypsies
were not lords and ladies. They
were sordid, frowsy. evil looking
lot. The Gypsy children were not
princelings, but noisy, quarrelsome
illmannered and unkempt crew.
Peggy felt quick revulsion toward
them and toward the whole place.
Run, run, rum" hooted Judge
Owl front the tree above.
"Run," echoed Billy Belgium, seiz-
ing one of her hands and dragging
her toward the woods.
"Stopp roared Viga, rushing up
and Selling the children, one in each
powerful hand. you are captives.
We are holding you for ransom"
A thrill of fear shot through Peg
gy. She remembered the dagger
Tirzah had given her. Swinging her
hand back she brought the dag
ger down with full force on the arm
that grasped her.
With yell of pain and rage, Viga
let 60. Billy dashed for the woods,
dragging Peggy behind him. Viga
leaped after them only to BEL
brought up short by Roland, who,
knife in hand, lcaped into his path.
I'm tomorrow's chapter Peggy and Billy
see duel)