immediate war. So when he saluted Gordon haughtily, that
young man gave him a haughty nod in return, and bade Stedman
tell the King that he would permit him to sit down. The King
did not quite appear to like this, but he sat down,
nevertheless, and nodded his head gravely.

"Now tell him," said Gordon, "that I come from the ruler of
the greatest nation on earth, and that I recognize Ollypybus
as the only King of this island, and that I come to this
little three-penny King with either peace and presents, or
bullets and war."

"Have I got to tell him he's a little three-penny King?" said
Stedman, plaintively.

" No; you needn't give a literal translation; it can be as
free as you please."

"Thanks," said the secretary, humbly.

"And tell him," continued Gordon, "that we will give presents
to him and his warriors if he keeps away from Ollypybus, and
agrees to keep away always. If he won't do that, try to get
him to agree to stay away for three months at least, and by
that time we can get word to San Francisco, and have a dozen
muskets over here in two months; and when our time of
probation is up, and he and his merry men come dancing down
the hillside, we will blow them up as high as his mountains.
But you needn't tell him that, either. And if he is proud and
haughty, and would rather fight, ask him to restrain himself