Whoever married her would be king. He would rank with, but after, the queen herself, for, to the credit of these cannibals be it said, they always prefer female government.
In civilized society Leeboo might have been accused of acting mischievously; for she would take first one into favour and then the other, giving, that is, each of them a taste of the seventh heaven time about. When Kalamazoo's star was in the ascendant, then Kaloomah was deep down in a pit of despair; but anon, he would be up and out again, and then it was Kalamazoo's turn to weep and wail and gnash his triangular red-stained teeth.
It is needless to say that the game she was playing was a sad strain upon our poor young heroine. No wonder her eyes grew bright with that brightness which denotes loss of strength, and weariness, and that her cheeks were often far too flushed.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, and but for little Weenah I think that Leeboo would have given up heart altogether and lain down to die.
But Weenah was always bright, cheerful, and happy. She was laughing all day long. Benee was coming for her; of that she was very certain and sure, so she sang about her absent lover even as birds in the woodlands sing, and with just as sweet a voice.
The plot was thickening and thickening, and Leeboo managed matters now so that only one of her guardians at a time accompanied herself and Weenah in their rides or rambles.
Dixie--as the pony was named--was a very faithful little horse, and though when Weenah had to trot beside him he never was allowed to go the pace, he was exceedingly strong, and could scour the plain or prairie as fleet as the wind whenever his young mistress put him on his mettle. On such occasions, no matter which of Leeboo's admirers was with her, he dropped far astern, and after running for a mile or so, had to sit down to pant.
But the young queen always returned, and so she was trusted implicitly.
So too was Weenah, but then Weenah was one of themselves.
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