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[Illustration: The Black Rover]
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The Eleventh Chapter.
_How the crafty King of Grumbletown learns of Happenings in the Realm
of Toyville. Also of the Laying of New Plans. And of the Black Rover._
[Illustration]
When the Buccaneers arrived in Grumbletown and Red Beard heard what
they had to tell, he began to make new plans. “Yo, ho, my husky lads!”
said he; “so the boy King of Toyville wasn’t clever enough to capture
you, was he? You hoisted sail and made a safe passage out of the
harbor, did you? Well these are two fine craft you have brought along,
and no mistake about that; we will find safe anchorage for them in our
own city of Grumbletown.”
Red Beard meant Snow White and Coal Black, when he spoke of the two
craft. He talked in that way to the {84} three Buccaneers, because
once having been a pirate captain, that is the kind of language he
liked best to use.
After a few minutes of thought, Red Beard spoke again.
“Listen, my hearties,” said he, “I have a new scheme to unfold to you.
We can’t afford to have a boy and girl ruling in Toyville. Do I speak
the truth, now?”
“Aye, aye, aye!” answered the three Buccaneers.
“’Tis well,” said Red Beard. “I see you are listening, and I say, ’tis
well.” As he spoke, he tapped with his knuckles the butt of a pistol
that was sticking out of his belt. “No, we can’t afford to let those
Toy people have a boy and girl for their King and Queen. They will
teach them too much skill and too many tricks, and soon make them so
clever that it will mean the end of Grumbletown. Do I speak the truth,
my bonny babies?”
“Aye, aye, aye!” answered the three Buccaneers.
“’Tis well, I see you listen,” said Red Beard; and again he tapped the
butt of his big pistol. “Now I will give you my new plan: soldiers and
cannon are all right for Kings that are used to ruling on land, but for
a King that once was a pirate captain, give us a good smart ship and
some stout rogues to man her, and that’s the way to win, say I. What
ho, my hearties?”
“Aye, aye, aye!” cried the three Buccaneers.
“What do you say the King of Toyville will be doing just now?” asked
Red Beard. “He will be eating his fine banquet up at the Castle with
his Queen, won’t he? Well, then, now is the time to act, say I. Let
someone go and spread the word in Toyville of a big battle, and tell
the Toy people about how their soldiers have been attacked and how
hundreds have been made prisoners.” {85}
“When the King and his Nobles up at the Castle hear of this, what
will they do? What will they do, I say? Listen, my sea dogs, and I
will tell you what King Tommy and his Nobles will do. They will mount
their horses and ride out into the hills, and take all the soldiers
with them. And how about Queen Helen? Will any soldiers be left at the
Castle to protect the Queen? No, my husky darlings, no one will be left
to protect the Queen. So, I say, now is our time to act; King Tommy and
his soldiers will be too clever for us; we can’t fight them, but we
can capture the Queen, and after that it won’t take long before we can
strike up a bargain with the King. Are you listening, my three little
lambs?”
“Aye, aye, aye!” cried the three Buccaneers.
“But,” grumbled Red Beard, as he took a hitch at his belt and let his
sword jingle against the barrel of his pistol, “when we are rid of the
King, how are we going to find a way to capture the Queen? that’s what
I say. How are we going to capture the Queen?”
No one answered for almost a minute. Then Long Jim stepped into the
room; the crafty courtier had arrived just in time to hear the King’s
question, and, being a clever one, this is the way he answered:
“If our noble King will permit me to speak, I will tell the Buccaneers
the plan I think our noble and kind King was about to unfold to them.”
“You may tell them my plan, old Oily Tongue,” replied Red Beard, for
that is the name he had for Long Jim.
Of course, Long Jim knew the King didn’t really have any plan, and he
just pretended, when he offered to tell what it was, because he thought
that would please Red {86} Beard, who wanted to be thought very
clever. Red Beard, however, knew the smooth ways of Long Jim, and that
is why he called the crafty courtier “Oily Tongue.”
“Most kind and gentle Buccaneers,” said the courtier, “the King’s plan
is this: he wishes you to take your pirate ship, the Black Rover,
and sail through the River into the Lake at Toyville, where you are
to await developments. Before night comes, you will have the Queen
captive.”
“Aye, aye, aye!” answered the three Buccaneers, marching off to their
ship, in which they soon were sailing down the river towards the Lake
of Toyville.
After the departure of the three Buccaneers, Long Jim and Red Beard
put their heads together, and to everything Long Jim said, the King
kept nodding approval, until in the end, Long Jim bowed good day to Red
Beard, and putting on his feathered cap, he too, set forth for Toyville.
Travelling through the hills by a secret passage, Long Jim reached
Toyville and entered the city without its once being discovered that
he was one of the enemy. As he went through the streets, he stopped to
speak first to one person and then to another, dropping a word here and
there, which very soon made the people turn pale with fright and hurry
into their houses, where they quickly barred both doors and windows.
[Illustration]
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[Illustration]