dney's capture. Poor fellow! He is seated in the far
end of the lodge holding Johnny on his lap. The boy has cried himself
asleep. The Commodore has one hand on his sword and rests his face upon
the other. Neither friend nor foe seems to be expecting us."

"Attention!" The order ran in low whispers around the line.

"Ready!"

"Ready." This word passed from officer to officer in the same way.

Then the Captain stepped to the head of the axmen, put his whistle to
his lips and blew a long blast. The shrill notes cut through the air.
Rodney heard it, lifted up his boy, leaped to his feet and cried:

"Come, Johnny, up! Wake! It is a rescue!"

The Pixie guards heard it. They grasped their weapons, and crowded
together before the door of the lodge. Spite the Spy and his horde heard
it as they feasted and made merry. They hastily seized their arms.

[Illustration: FIG. 29.--Spite and His Pixie Friends make Merry Over
Rodney's Capture.]

"What's in the wind, now?" muttered Spite. "That beast of a Bruce is at
the bottom of it, I warrant." But none of them seemed seriously to
expect an attack. The Brownie camp had been quiet all day. Their Captain
was known to be absent; their Commodore was a prisoner; there had been
no sign of any unusual stir.

Up in the orchard where she swung impatiently among the tree tops, good
Madam Breeze heard the same call.

"Ah! there it goes at last. Thank our star for that. What! Whirlit,
Whisk, Keener and all the rest of you, do you hear? Up and away--away!
Oo--oo--Ooh!"

The Brownies were crouched in the grass, every nerve strained to the
utmost, every eye fixed eagerly upon their leader, awaiting the word of
command. It came at last. Bruce dropped his whistle, drew his
broadsword, and shouted the welcome word, "Charge!"

With a wild hurrah the column closed in upon the lodge, MacWhirlie
leading one wing, Pipe the other, and Bruce at the head of the axmen
leading the centre.

It was a complete surprise. The guard of Pixies broke, parting to right
and left. One squad fell into the hands of the sailors and were all
slain. The others fared little better with MacWhirlie and his troopers.
The door gave way before the strokes that the Captain and his pioneers
rained upon it, and Rodney with his boy in his arms sprang out. Three
times three hearty cheers rang in the evening air as the brave hearted
sailor came forth a free man.

"Brother Rodney," said Captain Bruce, "there is not even time