e-heads, and give
'em a breath of fresh wind, they'll soon be dead Brownies." With that he
opened the sharp claws on one of his hands, like a pair of scissors, and
without more ado cut the bands that had been placed as gags around the
captives' mouths.

"All right!" he said, resuming his rudder, "go on with your palaver. But
heave ahead lively, or we'll be across the lake before you decide."

[Illustration: FIG. 55.--"Murderous Assaults Upon One Another."]

Spite had been in a deep study. At last he said, "We must go to the
island."

Raft glanced inquiringly at Hide, who nodded assent. "Aye, aye, Sir.
Port-a-helm it is." He turned the bow toward Ellen's Isle.

"We can easily find lodgings for our fair prizes there," continued
Spite. "But what about Fort Spinder? That is what troubles me. How are
we to get back? It is now too soon after the alarm to think of running
the pickets. Even if it were possible to do that by night as things are
now, it would be madness to try it by daylight. And yet, we must get
some word to our people soon, and have them out of that fort by
to-morrow night, or--" Spite paused and looked serious.

"Well?" said Raft.

"Well?" said Hide, "or--what?"

"You know quite as well as I!" answered Spite. "There will not be a
corporal's guard of Pixies left in Fort Spinder, that's all!"

Hide shrugged his shoulders and looked grave. He had known very well
what Spite meant, and he had a wife and children in the fort. There was
a long pause. Spite and Hide were in deep and anxious thought. They
could imagine the wild natures shut up within Fort Spinder venting their
native savagery in murderous assaults upon one another.[AD] What could
control them when the absence of their two chief officers should be
discovered? Was there any chance for them to return to the fort? or any
other way to prevent the catastrophe which they dreaded? The wind
freshened, and in the meantime the "Fringe" (as Raft called his yacht)
was rapidly approaching the island.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AC: Appendix, Note A.]

[Footnote AD: Appendix, Note B.]

CHAPTER XIV.

A PALACE AND A PRISON.

Faith and Sophia were much relieved by Raft's considerate act. They had
never thought to be grateful to a Pixie, but they felt gratitude toward
the smuggler as he cut the bands upon their mouths. Their limbs were
still bound, but they could turn upon their sides or backs, and look
into the quiet, starlit sky. Their minds we