But the Blue City was now beginning to waken to life. One of the
soldiers came from a house, sleepily yawning and stretching himself,
and presently his eyes lit upon the huge form of Cap'n Bill
hastening along the top of the wall. The soldier gave a yell that
aroused a score of his comrades and brought them tumbling into the
street. When they saw how the Boolooroo's precious prisoner was
escaping, they instantly became alert and wide-awake, and every one
started in pursuit along the foot of the wall.
Of course, the long-legged Blueskins could run faster than poor
Cap'n Bill. Some of them soon got ahead of the old sailorman and
came to the rope ladder which Trot had left dangling from the stone
bench, where it hung down inside the City. The Blue soldiers
promptly mounted this ladder and so gained the wall, heading off the
fugitive. When Cap'n Bill came up, panting and all out of breath,
the Blueskins seized him and held him fast.
Cap'n Bill was terribly disappointed at being recaptured, and so was
Trot, who had eagerly followed his every movement from her window in
the palace. The little girl would have cried with vexation, and I
think she did weep a few tears before she recovered her courage; but
Cap'n Bill was a philosopher, in his way, and had learned to accept
ill fortune cheerfully. Knowing he was helpless, he made no protest
when they again bound him and carried him down the ladder like a
bale of goods.
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