Part 20 (1/2)
”Well,” His Majesty asked, ”have you found out anything?”
Then one after another was obliged to confess that he had not, and while he was questioning them in turn he ascertained that neither Florimel nor the Policeman had returned.
The fact that both were missing worried him not a little, but, even while he was wondering what had kept them, he beheld the Policeman returning with incredible speed, leaping and bounding with his long, tapering feet over the sand.
”Your Majesty,” he panted, as he came up out of breath, ”I have just made a remarkable discovery.”
”What is it, officer?” asked King Stanislaus, anxiously.
”If I told you,” said the Policeman, ”I'm afraid you wouldn't believe me. I want you all to come and see for yourselves!”
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CHAPTER XIV
WHAT THE POLICEMAN DISCOVERED
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Like a covey of startled quail the Brownies flew after the Policeman, for each was very curious to learn of the discovery that he had made.
They knew that with his keen sense of dramatic values he wished to keep them in suspense as long as possible, so that only at the proper moment would the mystery be solved.
His fleet little feet padded along the sand, followed by others equally so, and he led them a stiff pace for perhaps a mile down the beach.
There lying behind a dune that offered a shelter from the creeping tides they viewed the cause of all his excitement.
Scattered on the sand were some dingy old frayed uniforms, caps, and hob-nailed shoes, of which they counted five complete sets in all, while near by piled into a heap were some immense bra.s.s musical instruments, some bent and battered in places and all tarnished by the weather.
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Soon they were making a minute inspection of these objects which for some inexplicable reason had been abandoned by their owners. The uniforms and caps were of worn blue cloth, and the latter had visors and braids of gold around them. The sleeves of the coats likewise were braided with gold.
With much interest in their work the Brownies began to separate the instruments that formed a heap. There were two cornets, a saxophone, a trombone, and a tremendous tuba that wound around and around and had a mouth so big that a Brownie could have easily crawled inside.
While they were examining the outfit there was much speculation as to whom it belonged, and the only conclusion they could arrive at was that the original possessors had been some itinerant German band.
It was not so strange to them that a German band should be in Dragonfel's enchanted country, for they knew that German bands go everywhere. Sometimes they can be found even at the North Pole. The only strange thing about it was that while the uniforms and instruments were there, the owners were missing.
”I wonder what's become of the band?” said King Stanislaus, very much puzzled.
”Perhaps someone heard them play,” suggested the Dude.
His Majesty gave a sudden start.
”Humph!” he grunted. ”What you have just hinted at rather unsettles an idea that suddenly occurred to me.”
”Maybe you were thinking of the same thing I was,” said the Policeman.