He danced about like a wild man of the woods, and laughed like a child in possession of a new toy.
And Martin Haypole. He swung his long legs around regardless of any mischief he might do, and forgot all the cares and troubles of his life.
Lucky was probably the most nimble-footed male on the floor, and he soon laid all the rest in the shade.
When the first dance came to an end, Queen Olive informed Dick that a number of the girls would give the dance of death—the same that our friends had witnessed on their arrival in Hez.
This, she informed him, was always indulged in by those who were not fortunate enough to have a partner for life, or a chance of soon having one, at every occasion like this.
Now that they knew what was coming, the four were anxious to see it, and they took seats with those who were not to participate in it on the stone floor of the cavern.
It was but a repetition of what they had seen before, but it was entrancing, for all that.
The graceful, undulating movements of the gaudily bedecked creatures seemed to move as if by a strange mechanism, and when their skeleton partners dropped down from above, the scene was complete.
As before, when the thing wound up, a crowd of figures resembling animals rushed in and seized the girls, and the skeletons disappeared.
At the same instant the lights went out and all was in total darkness.