Page 94 - Child's own book

ivas some trick in it, she was too courageous and generous
to iet her sisters languish for what it was in her power to
obtain for them ; she therefore let herself down in the basket,
but was no sooner there than Rich-Craft13 officers seized hold
of her, and curried her to ix country-house, where the prince
was for the recovery of his health. When the prince was
a little better, he had her taken to the top of a high mountain,
whither lie followed immediately after. Here it was that he
told her they were going to put her to death. Then that base
prince very barbarously showed Finetfa a barrel stuck in the
inside all round with pen-knives, razors, and honked nails, and
told her they were going to put her into that vessel, and roll
bur down from (he top of the mountain into the valley. Though
Finetta was no Jloman, she was no more afraid of the punish­
ment than Ke^ulus heretofore was at the sight of a like destiny.
Rich-Craft bent himself down to look into the barrel, which
was to be the instrument of his vengeance, to examine if it
was well provided with
all its murdering wea­
pons. Fiuetta lost no
tirne^ but very dexte­
rously pushed him
into it, and rolled him
down the mountain,
without giving the
prince time to know
wheTehciY33. After
this, she ran away ;
and the prince's officers, who had seen after what a cruel
manner their master would have treated this amiable princess,
made not the least attempt to stop ber; besides, they were so
much frightened at what happened to Rich-Cmft, that they