Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-12
DREAMLAND
ADVENTURES
The Stcamp Pirates
ny DADDY
CHAPTER ii
Prisoners OF the Pirates


"uO, MY army We must fight
IL these imps." cried Billy TO the
monkeys as the blue faced winged "rea-
lures swarmed toward the wiswam.
The monkeys grasped clubs and stones
and jumped behind the fort of rocks
they had built about the camp. They
were eager for battle.
All around buzzed the evil-faCed
creatures Peggy. Billy and the African
girl aud youth stared at them curiously,
never having seen anything like them
before. The imps were as tiny ms the
fairies, but their wings were not so
gauzy nor so pretty. Their faces were
dark blue, and a peculiar thing about
them was that their noses were like
swords, long and sharp as needles.
They look like pirates.' whispered
Peggy to Billy.
YES" agreed Billy. They are
swamp pirates. No wonder the tiny
foiries were afraid of them"
'Ho. Ho!" laughed Folly Wisher.
''Who is afraid of u swarm of gnats?"
At that Needle Nose. chief OF the
. winged pirateS--thc imp who had first
darted at Billy--gave an angry hum.
He lcapcd through the air at Folly
Wishcr and plunged his nccdlelike
sword up to the hilt in Folly Wisher'J
nose.
"Wow!" yelled Folly Wishcr.
Help. Save me" Folly Wisher
rushed wildly about. knocking every
one right and left until Billy caught
| him.
Smash that pirate" cried Billy to
Youth Of the Lion Heart. The African
: at iyI,t In t,,,t,
on Folly Wisher's nose. But the nimblc
| imp drew out his sword and jumped
] aside just in time to escape the swat.
/ The swat hit Folly Wishcr square on
the nose and knocked him fiat OH his
! back.
"Oh. I am killed." cried Folly
Wishcr That pirate kicked me on
! the nose.
Folly Wisher looked so funny Billy
| Aud Peggy couldn't help laughing at
him. But they quit laughing III a
| hurry when other swords came flashing
at them. They dodgcd and slapped to
keep the pirates away.
''Pcrhaps these pirates are not really
bad. but just think we arc foes come
TO harm them cried Peggy. Let US
smile at them and show we are
| friendly"
So Peggy and Billy and the two
African savagrs smiled as best they
could while dodging the fierce stabs OF
the pirates. But the smiles were an
Swcrcd by grinS so evil, the children
knew there was no fripndliness behind
them. The pirates meant to do them
hrrm. One showed it By sinking his
sword in pcggy's cheek.
I'VE must fight cried Billy,
knocking the pirate off Peggy's face.
And every one did fight. The mon
keys threw n shower of stones among
the buzzinG pirates. but the stone did no
more harm than floating feathers, for
the pirates eGsily lodged them.
Then the monkeys lashcd out with
their clubs, hitting at the pirates right
and left. But the pirates either ducked
away from the clubs or lighted upon
them to enjoy a thrilling ride.
The pirates were too small to be
fought with clubs or stones. Their very
size protected them. Billy and Peggy.
uided by the two savages, the goblin,
the army of monkeys and the stone
fort, could have beaten back dozen
real pirates, but they could not fight
off these midget foes.
"Oh. | wish we had fly swatters, ="
cried Peggy. At once all the clubs
turned into fly swattcrs. But the
pirates lodged the fly SwattepS as they
had lodged the clubs. They could be
hit only when they alightcd to stab
with their tiny poisoned swords
And Us they alighted only upon hu-
mans or monkeys, some one was swat
ted every time 4 blow was aimed at Il
pirate.
Swat! Swat! Swat, The monkeys
swattcd at the pirates and thus swatted
each other. They found the swatting
to be fun-such fun that in minute
they were having big Swatting fight.
just as children have u pillow fight or
II splashing fight They forgot all
about the pirates and jumped ont of the
fort to chase each other about the
island. And they were no more use in
lighting the pirates after that. Which
proves that monkeys do not make good
soldiers.
But the pirates kept on fighting.
They stabbed Peggy, Billy. Folly
Wishcr and the two snvagcs until the
humans could stand it no more.
Run into tn" wigwam and close the
door" shouted Billy
And that is what they did while tho
pirates bu22ed about the door. cutting
off all chance OF escape. The five were
prisoners in their own camp. What
happened then will be told tomorrow,