the sword-belt about her. "If we pull the visors of our
helmets down, no one will recognize us."

"But what of the others?" Andy inquired, adjusting his armor.

Hortense clapped her hands.

"I know," said she, "we'll pretend we've captured them, and take them
to the King."

"It will be all the harder for us to escape later," warned Andy.

"We must risk that," Hortense replied. "Besides, the Queen may aid us
if we tell her everything. She is much kinder and wiser than the King."

So it was decided to lay the plan before the others, which they did.

"I'm content," said Owl, "for no one can keep me captive if I wish to
escape."

"And I," said Malay Kris, "am afraid of nothing."

"I'll swallow any one who interferes with me," said Alligator.

"They'll not hurt us," said Coal and Ember growling.

"Then, if we're all agreed, let's go to the King's court," said
Hortense, and with her and Andy leading the way, off they went.

The court was assembled in a glade in the woods, all the Little People
grouped about their King and Queen. When Andy and Hortense appeared
with their odd captives, way was made for them, every one staring in
surprise. Even the King was dumb with astonishment.

"What have we here, a traveling circus?" said he at last.

"Prisoners we captured near the Royal Raspberry Patch," said Andy in as
martial a tone as he could muster.

"Where could they come from and what are they doing here?" the King
demanded. "Speak," he commanded them.

Owl took it upon himself to answer.

"We were hunting the great Cat and Grater, who are our enemies."

"So the boy and girl said who escaped the other night, no one knows
how. For all we know, you may be servants of the terrible Grater of
whom my most valiant soldiers are afraid, and of the great Cat with the
claws."

"Show us either of them and we'll prove our quality," Malay Kris
boasted. "I have once before run Grater through and pinned him to the
floor."

The King pulled at his beard.

"It is true that I have heard he now wears a piece of pink
court-plaster."

"Give me arms and put me into your service," said Malay Kris, "and I
will prove my mettle."

"You are indeed a likely looking soldier," said the King, regarding him
with favor. "I'm inclined to try you. Give him," said he to the Captain
of the Guard, "armor and a sword, and we'll see what he can do. As for
these others, we'll put them in cages for the present and decide later
what to do with