106 BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

man steadily: “at what hour do the sisters intend to conduct my
brother and the other children to the Palace of the King of the
Dark Men?”

The little ferryman winced when Primrose asked him this. He
gave the little girl a quick glance out of his wicked eyes, and
hesitated.

“Speak!” said Primrose, stamping her foot.

“JT will. Ill speak at once, sweet little Princess. I beseech of
you don’t visit me with your anger. Those awful hats! you now possess
six of them! I—I, yes, little Princess. Ill tell you anything
you wish!”

“You had better be quick about it,” said Primrose, ‘for I am quite
sure that if I touch you with one of these hats your life will be in
great danger.”

“Oh, I pray of you, don’t attempt to put the hats near me!
What is it you want?”

“At what hour are the children to go to the Palace of the
Dark Men?”

“ At sunset. When the sun goes down we are to row in this
ferry-boat to the gates of the country where the Dark Men live.”

 “Ferryman,” said Primrose, “when the children get inside, what
will happen to them?”

“Ah!” said the ferryman, raismg his hands, and a queer
terrified look flitting over his face, “ah, when they get inside!”

“Tell me what will happen to them,” said Primrose, turning
white as she spoke.

‘““When the iron gates are closed, and the children get inside
the Country of the Dark Men,” replied Fungus, “they will work,
and they will weep—for there is no play in that country, and no
cakes, and no sunshine. It is a dark country, little Princess, and
bad for children to live in.” — :

“They shall never go there,” said Primrose; “not while I live.”

She felt very strong while she spoke. She was only one child,
but it seemed to her that she had the strength of a hundred.

“Perryman,” she said, “you are a very wicked man, and you