despair, he was just yielding to his hapless fate, when the sound
of distant fairy music broke upon his ear, and raising his head, he
beheld, riding swiftly down on the moonbeams, in all the pomp and
blazonry of military equipment, a band of armed fairy knights, with
Firefly at their head. On they came, with dash and hurry, and soon the
air was darkened with arrows and javelins hurled at the hateful
water-sprites.

Fast and sharp they came, and in a very few moments a still more
brilliant light gleamed from the eyes of the victorious army, as the
kelpies, after a short but furious resistance, sank yelling with rage
and disappointment beneath the wave, and the water became still and
glassy as before.

The agitated boy heard a tiny but hearty shout of triumph, and then
the brave little fairy soldiers, after kissing their hands and waving
their gossamer scarfs at Charley, turned and flew on their light and
winged steeds, towards the beautiful hollow from which the good Queen
had sent them, for she knew, by her fairy power, the danger her
beloved Charley was in.

The music, faint and sweet, lingered till the last lance had flashed
in the moonbeams, as it disappeared over the tall tree-tops, and then
it died insensibly away, so lingering were the delicious notes.

Then the wondering boy looking round, saw only the bright moon, the
still water, and the row-boat full of his brothers and sisters.

"Why, Charley," said his mother, kissing him, "you have had a nice
little sleep; haven't you?"

"Sleep? Oh no!" answered the bewildered child. "Did you see the
battle?"

"BATTLE!" screamed all the children. "Why, Charley, you must be
getting crazy!"

"Not at all," said Charley, very earnestly, "this time it really
happened;" and he told of the battle of the fairies, while the
children opened their eyes and mouths so wide with astonishment, that
their faces looked all holes; and they stared with all their might up
at the moonbeams and down into the water, in the hope that at least
some one fairy might have found it necessary to see Charley safe on
dry land; but I am sorry to have to relate that they were not
gratified with a sight, though their very eye-balls stuck out, so
intense and eager did they look, and so sure was Charley that he had
not been asleep.

_Had he been asleep?_

And now, for more than a month after this, Charley and the rest of the
children lived a most delightful life. They were up at drum-beat
every