“I never supposed,” announced Priscilla one morning at breakfast, “that weeks could go so fast. It makes old age seem awfully close. And still I know how slowly they go sometimes, like January at St. Helen’s, for instance. Just sixteen more days, and we’ll be going back East, Virginia. Dad says if I’m not back by the tenth, they’ll motor to the White Mountains without me. I’m afraid I can’t help feeling superior when I view the White Mountains after seeing these!”
Virginia was busily counting on her fingers.
“I’m trying to remember just what we’ve done and what we haven’t done,” she said. “Then we can see what’s left. We’ve ridden hundreds of miles, and we’ve climbed mountains, and trapped a bear, and shot gophers, and fished, and homesteaded, and 182 camped, and visited Aunt Deborah and Jean MacDonald. I’m so glad Jean went to Aunt Deborah’s with us. It was such fun having her along. Then we’ve been up to Mystic Lake, and out on the range with Joe and William, and——”
“But you haven’t visited the Roman Emperor,” interrupted her father. “I stopped at his place yesterday on my way home from Willow Creek, and found him at home, flag out and all. He promised me some water-cress, but I couldn’t wait for it. You see,” he added, smiling at the puzzled faces around him, “it isn’t every one who can see the Emperor. It takes a special errand. In this case, it’s water-cress.”
“We’ll go this very day!” cried Virginia. “Cottonwood Canyon can wait! Don and I’ve been planning it all along, but he said Mr.—the Emperor, I mean—was away up in the mountains. I’ll telephone over for the boys this minute.”
Not to question had become a Vigilante principle; and not to appear too curious, another. Still the mystery which filled their minds concerning the Emperor was ill-concealed. They knew Patrick 183 Sheehan, the old Vigilante, who lived on the Lone Mountain trail, and queer Aunt Susan Nevitt, who was reputed to have a bag of gold nuggets in the cellar of her tumble-down cabin. But of this personage, the Roman Emperor, they had surely never heard! Curiosity lent haste to their fingers, and in half an hour they were ready to start.
“His ca—estate is off the road to Willow Creek,” Virginia explained as they went out to greet the boys. “We’ve ridden by the driveway loads of times, but I knew he wasn’t at home by his flag not being out. That’s the sign. It’s that way in England, you know, at the king’s and dukes’ palaces. When they’re at home, the flag is flying.”
“I see,” said Priscilla, as she mounted Cyclone. “Is the Emperor old?”
“Rather. He’s nearly eighty. You see, he’s been reigning twenty-five years, hasn’t he, Don?”
“Yes, he commenced when Malcolm was of no account—twenty-five years or so ago. He’s met with lots of reverses, too. He was telling me just before you got home how the Senate wouldn’t vote him any money to fix up the estate. He’ll probably 184 apologize. Everybody ready? Come on!” commanded Don.