ins whom
you found disrespectful and taught manners?"

Pollyooly flushed faintly; but she said bravely, in an explanatory tone:

"I had to. He was always bothering."

"I should think that Henry Wiggins was a far more active and difficult
boy in a fight than this fat little prince," said the Honourable John
Ruffin.

"Oh, Henry Wiggins is tough but really he is quite easy. You've only
got to get hold of his hair," said Pollyooly quickly. "But of course
the prince has very short hair, only he isn't tough at all," she added
in the grave tones of one weighing the chances of battle.

"He certainly is cropped. The Prussians have no aesthetic sense," said
the Honourable John Ruffin in a disparaging tone. "But I should think
that you could get over the difficulty of the hair."

"Oh, yes: I'm nearly sure I could," said Pollyooly; and her deep blue
eyes began to shine. "May I smack him if he interferes with us?"

"Not on any account unless I am at hand," said the Honourable John
Ruffin quickly. "I have a deep, patriotic distrust of the chivalry of
Prussian barons. I do not think that this one could be trusted to see
fair play. You might have a baron on your hands as well as a prince;
and it might be too much for a red Deeping of your size. A prince at a
time should be your motto."

"It would be very amusing," said Mrs. Gibson; and her eyes danced.

"You shall see it," said the Honourable John Ruffin amiably. "Unbiased
spectators of a dramatic scene are always desirable; and it won't be
difficult to arrange your presence, for the business will need a little
stage-managing. You watch the prince, Pollyooly, and see how far he
goes down the beach, so that we can arrange the exact place for his
instruction."

The next day Pollyooly followed the prince to the end of his royal
progress twice; and she had little doubt that she would be able to draw
him into the battle for which she yearned, for he never saw her without
scowling darkly upon her.

On the second day the Honourable John Ruffin returned from his golf in
time to lunch with the two children; and he informed Pollyooly that he
proposed to spend the afternoon on the sand with them. They found Mrs.
Gibson with her children; and she accompanied them to the spot at which
the prince usually turned in his course. Twenty yards beyond it the
Honourable John Ruffin bade Pollyooly build a castle; and then he and
Mrs. Gibson left her and the Lump to build it, and r