holes in the pillow-slip, held Nan and the prisoner back.

"Sawney," the tall girl said sternly, "as you have filed objections
to being tried by fire according to the ancient and honorable
custom of Lakeview lambkins, you shall be treated as a robber--No!
A pirate. You shall be made to walk the plank."

"Well," said Rhoda, rather scornfully. She did not see anything
funny in all this.

"It will be a pretty deep well you will plop into," threatened
Amelia. "Ready, slaves?"

"Your slaves are slavishly ready," called Laura from the platform.
"Let the sawney climb the ship's taffrail and be plunged into the
sea."

"We ought to tie her hands behind her," said one girl, as they
marched down the room.

"No," said Nan.

"That is right," said Amelia. "We must give her a chance to swim
when she strikes the water."

"Oh, fiddlesticks!" murmured Rhoda.

But Nan saw Laura run and fill a big dipper with water from the
spigot and give it to one of the other girls, who climbed quickly
to the platform. Then Laura came to seize the victim's other arm.