Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/167

 Tib augmented the corn boy's declaration by announcing: 'Catifs, we'll all go back and hunt up the king. We'll keep him with us, so we'll always know just what to do.'

"‘But we mustn't hurt him,' expostulated one. 'O1d Freeman Hucky is one of the best old souls in Tanker's Mills. Lord! Where'd I get that name? Sounds mighty familiar, too.' And the last was in deep perplexity.

"‘Say, fellers, can't we break into one of those barns and git some oats to eat?' babbled the drummer. 'A dish of nice, clean oats would look mighty good to me.'

"‘Ye varmint!' cried Corn Hair; 'if ye don't shut up I'll use th' goad on ye. I tell ye, boys, we're all goin' ter feel sorry if we don't kill this chap. Th' king said we'd got ter kill somebody.' But Tib and I pacified him, and explained there was no gain in slaying an insect, and at last we were marching towards the village.

'It's time to duck,' I whispered to Tib.

Let's first get a whack at King James,' he pleaded. 'And, Billy, what if we catch him and lock him up? Won't that make me ruler of Tanker's Mills? We'd be so cut off from interference that probably we could run this place as a monarchy all summer. And do you know, I've always hankered to wear the purple.'