on of the infantry, under command of their
self-elected captain, Otaheitan Sally, who was now, according to John
Adams, "no longer a chicken." Being in her eleventh year, and, like her
country-women generally at that age, far advanced towards big girlhood,
she presented a tall, slight, graceful, and beautifully moulded figure,
with a sweet sprightly face, and a smile that was ever disclosing her
fine white teeth. Her profusion of black hair was gathered into a knot
which hung low on the back of her pretty round head. She was crowned
with a wreath of wild-flowers, made and presented by her troops. It is
needless to say that every one of these, big and little, was
passionately attached to Sally.

Chief among her admirers now, as of old, was Charlie Christian, who,
being about eight years of age, well grown and stalwart like his father,
was now almost as tall as his former nurse.

Charlie had not with years lost one jot of that intensely innocent and
guileless look of childhood, which inclined one to laugh while he merely
cast earnest gaze into one's face; but years had given to him a certain
gravity and air of self-possession which commanded respect, even from
that volatile imp, his contemporary, Dan McCoy.

Thursday October Christian, who was less than a year younger than Sally,
had also shot up into a long-legged boy, and bade fair to become a tall
and sturdy man. He, like his brother, was naturally grave and earnest,
but was easily roused to action, and if he did not himself originate
fun, was ever ready to appreciate the antics and mild wickedness of Dan
McCoy, or to burst into sudden and uproarious laughter at the tumbles or
ludicrous doings of the sprawlers, who rolled their plump-made forms on
the soft grass.

Not one of the band, however, had yet attained to the age which renders
young people ashamed of childish play. When Young and Adams appeared on
the scene, Sally, her hair broken loose and the wreath confusedly
mingled with it, was flying round the square with Dolly Young on her
shoulder, and chased by Charlie Christian, who pretended, in the most
obvious manner, that he could not catch her. Toc was sitting on the
fence watching them, and perceiving his brother's transparent hypocrisy,
was chuckling to himself with great delight.

Matt Quintal and Dan McCoy, at the head of two opposing groups, were
engaged in playing French and English, each group endeavouring to pull
the other over a rope laid on