FANCY FREE UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME THE HUMAN BOY ALSO BY THE SAME AUTHOR LYING PROPHETS CHILDREN OF THE MIST SONS OF THE MORNING THE STRIKING HOURS [Illustration: “BUT YOU’RE A POOR THING IN TIGERS” PAGE 154] FANCY FREE BY EDEN PHILLPOTTS WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON 1901 TO FRANCIS COWLEY BURNAND WITH MOST HEARTY REGARD CONTENTS PAGE THE ZAGABOG 1 QUITE OUT OF THE COMMON 7 JOHNSON’S BOSWELL 61 THE NINE MUSKETEERS 78 THE GAME OF LIFE 94 “ALAS! POOR GHOST” 101 GREENSMITH’S CHARADE 120 THE MATE OF THE “BUNCH O’ KEYS” 136 THE TRANSMIGRATIONS OF TARVER 141 THE FIRST WORD 166 “STAR O’ BOSTON” 175 THE SACRIFICE 189 THE DIARY OF A PERFECT GENTLEMAN 196 INOCULATION DAY 210 A STORY WITHOUT AN END 221 THE BIOGRAPHY OF PETER PARKINSON 231 THE JACKY-TOAD 252 A CELESTIAL CHAT 271 THE ARCHDEACON AND THE DEINOSAURS 279 THE BILLS 297 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE “BUT YOU’RE A POOR THING IN TIGERS” _J. A. Shepherd_ _Frontispiece_ “THEY’RE LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS!” _S. H. Sime_ 5 “I LIFTED UP MY VOICE AND CALLED FOR A POLICEMAN” _A. H. Buckland_ 44 “MR. GARRICK SURPRISED MR. BOSWELL” _Enoch Ward_ 72 “ASCENDED A HAND, LIKE THE SIGHT OF LAND” _Arthur Layard_ 138 “‘OLD TOM RUM,’ READ OUT ‘STAR O’ BOSTON’” 181 “GORMED IF I DIDN’T THINK I’D GOT ’E!” _René Bull_ 253 “VERY PASSABLE IRISH WHISKY” _Cecil Aldin_ 288 FANCY FREE THE ZAGABOG I Here’s a funny sort of story of an Isle beyond the sun, Of a gleaming golden island seldom seen by anyone; So prick your ears and listen to my most eccentric lays Of the Island and the Zagabog from old pre-Cambrian days-- The mild and humble Zagabog, The plain, good-hearted Zagabog With prehistoric ways. II Upon his wondrous head he wore a rather ugly crown; His eyes were green and somewhat sad, his tail hung meekly down; But on a throne of early mud he comfortably sat And ruled his Golden Island in a way I marvel at. He was a peaceful Zagabog, A practical old Zagabog, And quite unique at that. III