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[Illustration: The Miller of Dee]
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The Fifteenth Chapter.
_Of Rolie Polie’s visit to the Barley Mill. And of what the Miller
of Dee saw from the Roof. Also of the threatening shouts of the Toy
People._
[Illustration]
As King Tommy headed the _Royal Yacht_ to the wind and gave up the
chase, the ladies, almost with one voice, begged of him not to abandon
the rescue of the Queen. But upon thinking how near their boat had come
to being sunk by the shot from the cannon on the deck of the _Black
Rover_, they realized that the King had chosen the only course possible.
Tommy now held a consultation with Mr. Poodle. In their hurried talk
neither one could present a plan which promised success, or even held
any hope. Meanwhile, the _Black Rover_ being out of sight and there now
existing {114} no danger from the cannon shots, the yacht was again
headed for the river, though what would be gained by this course the
King for a moment could not see.
During this activity on board the yacht, there had been no less
activity on the land, for the sound of the firing had brought a great
gathering of people to the shore of the lake, to the roofs of houses
and to every high point from which might be had a good view.
Now, as has been told, Rolie Polie had gone off to see the town and
have luncheon with the Miller of Dee. Thus it happened that when the
Buccaneers fired their first cannon shot, the little clown was sitting
at the door of the mill, watching the great wheel turn and the barley
corns go bobbing up and down in the hopper.
“Oh, ho, Rolie Polie,” cried the Miller of Dee; “there must be a battle
out on the lake! Come in and tend the mill a minute, while I go up on
the roof and see what is causing all this firing!”
Rolie Polie jumped quickly to his feet, and didn’t say no to that
proposition, I can tell you, for he thought it would be great sport
to tend the mill. Presently the Miller of Dee was telling him to turn
this lever this way, and that lever another way, and to be sure not to
touch the third lever, and then the mill would grind, or stop grinding,
and all would be well. “Be sure, Rolie Polie, not to touch the third
lever,” finally cautioned the Miller, as he went hurrying out of the
door.
After Rolie Polie had tended the mill for a while, he too began to
wonder what was happening out on the lake. “I will shut off the mill,”
said he, “and get up on the roof and see.” {115}
“Now, was it this lever the Miller said to turn, or that one, or the
third one?” wondered Rolie Polie. Then he pushed down a lever, and no
sooner had it turned than Rolie Polie heard a great rushing and roaring
which nearly shook the mill from off its foundations.
“Oh, Rolie Polie!” cried the Miller’s wife, scaring her cat from its
nap in the sun, as she ran hurriedly into the mill, “What have you
done? What have you done? The gates to the dam are open and the water
is tearing wildly through the mill brook. We must turn the lever again
and shut the gates!”
But, work as hard as they could, the gates would not budge one inch,
and presently the Miller was heard calling loudly: “Shut the gates!
Shut the gates!”
Rolie Polie began to shake and tremble. “I think it is time for me to
go and hide,” he said. “There is no telling what the Miller might do.”
Then off he hurried and soon had tucked himself in a corner behind some
meal bags.
“Shut the gates! Shut the gates!” yelled the Miller, as he bounded
through the open door and ran across the mill to the levers. But for
all his hard tugging, the Miller of Dee never closed the gates even one
particle. Then he went outside and called for help, and presently there
was no less than a dozen stout Toy people tugging at the lever, which
little by little, as the pressure of the water grew less, began to turn
and finally shut the gates.
“It is a fine mess this little clown has made for us now,” said the
Miller. “He deserves to have a good birch twig laid upon his back,
only, of course, that is against the laws of Toyville, and besides
he is such a jolly little fellow, it would be a shame to give him a
whipping.” {116}
While the little Miller of Dee was talking this way, Rolie Polie, now
much frightened, kept creeping further into his nook behind the barley
bags.
[Illustration]
If he had not been so intent upon hiding he would have heard the Miller
laugh and say that: “Perhaps the little clown was not after all much to
blame, for he hadn’t had much experience at mill tending.” That was the
way it was with the Toy people; they never could be cross with anybody,
or, at least, they could not be cross for long.
Rolie Polie did not hear the Miller say this though, but what he did
hear was an approaching throng in the street. These, with shouts and
cries of: “Who opened the gates? Who opened the gates?” were now almost
at the mill.
[Illustration: The Levers.]
As for the little Miller, he too heard the cry. “Oh me, oh my!” said
he, “this certainly looks threatening for Rolie {117} Polie; and
really the fault was not so much his as mine. I should never have left
the mill in his care.” The next {118} minute the Miller of Dee stepped
briskly to the open door. “I am the one for whom you are looking,” said
he.
Whatever the Miller of Dee expected would happen when he made the
announcement, I do not know, but of this much I am certain, that which
did happen was without doubt a big surprise.
“The Miller of Dee! the Miller of Dee! Hurrah for the Miller of Dee!”
cried the throng as they rushed forward; and, taking hold of the little
Miller, twined a wreath of roses about his shoulders and placed him on
the back of Rolie Polie’s donkey.
“To the Castle!” they cried; and off they started.
It was as much as two minutes before the little Miller could get enough
breath to speak. “Why am I being taken to the Castle? Why is this
wreath about my neck? And why do you cheer?” he asked.
“Listen!” cried one of the Toy people to his companions. “The Miller of
Dee asks why we cheer! Why shouldn’t we cheer? Hurrah for the Miller of
Dee, who opened the gates of the dam and let the water out of the lake,
so the pirate ship was left high and dry in the river!”
When, at last, the noise had subsided enough for the little Miller to
be heard, he asked: “Is that what has really happened? Has the pirate
boat been captured and has Queen Helen been rescued?”
“Yes,” answered the Toy people; “Queen Helen has been rescued, and all
due to the Miller of Dee.”
“No,” answered the little Miller, “the honor is not mine; I did not
open the gates. They were opened by the little clown. Turn back, my
fellow Toy people, this wreath of roses is for Rolie Polie.”
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[Illustration]