ud voice, hoping to change the subject: "Who is
going to row? Will you, Mr. False Hare?"

"Why certainly, dearie, I adore rowing," said the False Hare sweetly.

"Then you will have to, Rudolf, and I will look after Peter. 'He is
always _so_ apt to fall out of a boat. I dare say the mice will be
glad of a rest."

They all got into the boat, Rudolf took the oars, Ann sat in the bow
with Peter beside her, and the False Hare settled himself comfortably
in the stern with a mouse squeezed on either side of him. He wanted to
pet them a little, so he said, but from the strained expressions on
their faces and the startled squeaks they gave from time to time, it
seemed as if they were hardly enjoying his attentions. The children
loved being on the water better than anything else, and they would
have been perfectly happy now, if the False Hare had not had quite so
many nice compliments to make to Rudolf on his rowing, and if the
white mice had not complained so bitterly of them all for "sitting all
over the boat cushions," and "wetting the nice dry oars!" They were
enjoying themselves very much, in spite of this, when suddenly Ann,
who had very sharp eyes, called out:

"Sail ahead!"

At first Rudolf thought she had said this just because it sounded
well, but on turning his head he saw for himself a small boat heading
toward them as fast as it could come. A moment more and the children
could see the black flag floating at its masthead.

"Oh, oh!" screamed Ann, "that's a skull and cross-bones. It's a pirate
ship!"

"Hurrah!" Rudolf shouted. "How awfully jolly! Just like a book."

"Dee-lightful!" the False Hare exclaimed, shuddering all over to the
tips of his whiskers. "If there's one thing I do dote on it is
pirates--dear old things!"

As for the two white mice, after one glance at the ship, they gave
two little shrieks and hid their faces in their paws.

Rudolf shipped his oars while he loosened his sword. "I shall be
prepared to fight," said he, "though I am afraid we must make up our
minds to being captured. Our enemy's boat is not so large--it's not
much more than a catboat--but there are only four of us, as the mice
don't count, and I suppose there must be at least a dozen of the
pirates."

The False Hare smiled a sickly sort of smile. "And such nice ones," he
murmured. "Such gentle, well-behaved, well-brought-up, _polite_
pirates! Just the sort your dear parents would like to have you meet.
_Those_ fellows don'