The Elbert County tribune., 1918-11-08
I put up flag at the bottom and took.

put up flag at the bottom and took.
possession. They're mine"
"Reallyi" said Prince Ferdinand
William Otto. quite delighted. He
would never have thought of such
thing.
A door OF iron bars at the foot of
the long flight of steps-there were
four of them-stood open. Here day
light, which had been growing fainter,
| entirely ceased. And here Bobby. hay-
ing replaced his mask. placed an air
rifle over his shoulder. and lighted
prince.
You can carry it." he said. sony
don't lie. 1t drip on you. You'll spoil
your clothes" There was family
scornful note In his voice. and Ferdi-
nand William Otto was quick to hear
1t.
Il don't care at all about my
Clothes" he protested. And to prove
1t he deliberately tilted the candle and
| let thin stream of parafiin run down
his short jacket.
you're pretty good sport" Bobby
observed. And from that time on he
addressed his royal highness as "old
sport"
| When they reached the old dungeon
the candle was about done. There was
| only time to fashion another black
mask out OF a piece OF cloth that bore
strange resemblance to black
waistcoat. The crown prince donned
this with wildly beating heart Never
In oil his life had he been so excited.
"We can get another candle, and
come back and cook something" said
| the senior pirate, tying the mask on
| with pieces of brown string. 'It gets
pretty smoky, but I can cook, you'd
better believe"
So this wonderful boy could cook.
also The crown prince had never
met any one with SO many varied at
tainments. He gazed through the eye
holes, which were rather too far apart,
In rapt admiration.
"As you haven't got belt" Bobby
said generously, 'Tll give you the rifle.
Ever hold gum"
"Oh, yes," said the crown prince.
he did not explain that he had been
taught to shoot on the rifle range of
his own regiment, and had won quite
n number of medals. He possessed,
indeed, quite a number of small but
very perfect guns.
With the last gasp of the candle,
the children prepared to depart. The
senior pirate had already forgotten the
two men he had trailed through the
passage, and was eager to get out
doors.
DAaI n h. ,nII
old sport, we are pirates. No quarter,
except to women and children. Shoot
every man."
"Even II he Is unarmed?" inquired
the crown prince, who had also studied
strategy and tactics. and felt that an
unarmed man should be taken pris-
oner.
"Sure. We don't really shoot them,
silly. Now, Get In STEP"
Then began, for the crown prince,
such day Of joy as he had never
known before. Even the Land of De-
| light faded before this new bliss of
| stalking from tree tc tree, of killing
| unsuspecting citizens who sat on rugs
on the ground and ate sausages and
little cakes. Here and there, where
party had moved on, they salvaged
bit Of food-the heel of n loaf, one
Of the small country apples. Shades
Of the court physicians, under whose
direction the crown prince was daily
fed a carefully balanced rationl
When they were weary, they
stretched out on the ground, and the
crown prince, whose bed was nightly
dried with warming pan for fear of
dampness, wallowed blissfully on
earth still soft with the melting frosts
of the winter. He grew muddy and
dirty. He had had no hat, of course.
and his bright hair hung over his fore
head In moist strands. Now and then
he drew a long breath of sheer happi-
ness.
AS dusk descended, the crowd grad
ually dispersed, some to supper, but
some to gather in the place and in the
streets around the palace. For the
rumor that the king was dying would
not down.
At last the senior pirate consulted
| large nickel watch.
| "Geei it's almost supper time," he
| said.
| Prince Ferdinand William Otto con-
suited his own watch, the one with
the inscription: ITO Ferdinand Will
liam Otto, from his grandfather, on
the occasion of his taking his first
communion"
"Why can't you come home to sup
per with me?" asked the senior pirate.
"Would your folks kick up row?'
| 81 beg your pardon"
| would your family object?"
"There is only one person who would
mind" reflected the crown prince,
aloud, ''and she will be angry, anyhow.