Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad
"
"It sounds very romantic," said Louise, smiling. "Mr. Watson is such a
cautious man!"
"But it's all rubbish about there being danger in Taormina," declared
Patsy, indignantly. "Mr. Watson has been in the wilds of the interior,
which Baedecker admits is infested with brigands. Here everyone smiles
at us in the friendliest way possible."
"Except the duke," added Beth, with a laugh.
"Oh, the duke is sour by nature," Patsy answered; "but if there really
was danger, I'm sure he'd protect us, for he lives here and knows the
country."
"You are sure of a lot of things, dear," said her cousin, smiling. "But
it will do no harm to heed the advice, and be careful."
They all agreed to that, and Uncle John was glad to remember he had two
brand new revolvers in the bottom of his trunk, which he could use in an
emergency if he could manage to find the cartridges to load them with.
He got them out next morning, and warned his nieces not to touch the
dangerous things when they entered his room. But Patsy laughed at him,
saying:
"You are behind the times, Uncle. Beth has carried a revolver ever since
we started."
"Beth!" he cried, horrified.
"Just as a precaution," said that young lady, demurely.
"But you're only a child!"
"Even so, Uncle, I have been taught to shoot in Cloverton, as a part of
my education. Once I won a medal--think of that! So I brought my pet
revolver along, although I may never have need to use it."
Uncle John looked thoughtful.
"It doesn't seem like a girlish accomplishment, exactly," he mused.
"When I was young and went into the West, the times were a bit
unsettled, and I used to carry a popgun myself. But I never shot at a
human being in my life. There were women in the camps that could shoot,
too; but the safest place was always in front of them. If Beth has won a
medal, though, she might hit something."
"Don't try, Beth," said Louise; "you ought to make a hit without
shooting."
"Thank you, dear."
As they left their hotel for a walk they came upon Count Ferralti, who
was standing in the court calmly smoking a cigarette.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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