chap. He couldn't bear the
thought of leaving even a rascal like Peter Mink wounded and alone.

"I think you ought to send the cook back to take care of him," Jimmy
told Major Monkey.

At that, Mr. Crow--who was the cook--spoke up and said that he was going
to stay with the army.

"I don't see," he said, "how you could get along without me. An army
without a cook is as good as lost."

Major Monkey promptly agreed with Mr. Crow.

"Certainly we mustn't get lost," he said. "If we were lost, the enemy
never could find us. And we might wander about in the woods for years
and years."

His remarks made some of the generals a bit uneasy. And one of them--a
soldier called Billy Woodchuck--announced that he would have to be
leaving.

XII

Over and Under

When Billy Woodchuck talked about leaving the army, Major Monkey
became greatly excited. He muttered something under his breath about
_deserters_, and _shooting them at sunrise_. And he strutted up to
Billy Woodchuck and asked him what he meant by quitting the army
without permission.

Though Billy Woodchuck hung his head, he insisted that he must go
home.

"I have an engagement," he explained, "to stand guard in the
clover-patch, while my father and some other old gentlemen feast on
clover-tops."

"Are they expecting an attack?" Major Monkey inquired, pricking up his
ears.

"Of course not!" said Billy Woodchuck. "They're not _expecting_ one,
or they would stay safe at home. But you never can tell what old dog
Spot is going to do. My father and his friends would be disappointed
if I didn't come. They would be angry, too. And just as likely as not
I'd be put to bed an hour before sunset. So I shall go home now,
whether you give me leave or not."

"Then I'll give you leave--if that's the case," said Major Monkey. "I
can't have anybody disobeying orders; so I'll give you leave. And I'll
dismiss the army until to-morrow.... The last man over the fence will
be shot at sunrise," he added. It seemed as if he was determined to
shoot somebody, anyhow.

Well, everyone turned and ran like the wind. Naturally, nobody wanted
to be last, after what Major Monkey had said.

It looked, for a few moments, as if the whole army was going to cross
the fence at the same instant. But Billy Woodchuck was so unlucky as
to step into a hole. He fell head over heels. And by the time he had
picked himself up and reached the fence all the rest were safe on the
other side of i