t know anything about shooting, stabbing,
mast-heading or plank-walking; _oh_, no! _They_ don't do such things."

Ann turned pale at the False Hare's words, but Rudolf only laughed.
"What luck!" he exclaimed. "I'm nine years old and I've never seen a
real live pirate, and goodness knows when I ever will again--I
wouldn't miss this for anything." Then, as he saw how really worried
his little sister looked, he added cheerfully. "They may sail right
past without speaking to us, you know."

But this was not to be the case. Nearer and nearer came the pirate
craft until at last the children could see, painted in black letters
on her side, her name, _The Merry Mouser_. A group of pirates was
gathered at the rail, staring at the rowboat through their glasses.
There was no mistake about these fellows being pirates--that was easy
enough to see from their queer bright-colored clothes and the number
of weapons they carried, even if the ugly black flag had not been
floating over their heads. At the bow stood he who was evidently the
Pirate Chief. He was dressed in some kind of tight gray and white
striped suit with a red sash tied round his waist stuck full of
shiny-barreled pistols and long bright-bladed knives. A red turban
decorated his head and under it his brows met in the fiercest kind of
frown. His arms were folded on his breast. As Rudolf looked at this
fellow, he began to have the queerest feeling that somewhere--
somehow--under very different conditions--he had seen the Pirate
Chief before!

Just at that instant he heard the sound of a struggle behind him, and
turning round he saw that Peter had become terribly excited. "Mittens!
Mittens!" he screamed, and breaking loose from Ann's hold, he stood up
and leaned so far over the side of the boat that he lost his balance
and fell into the water. Ann screamed, the False Hare--I am ashamed to
say--merely yawned and kept his paws in his pockets. Rudolf had kicked
off his shoes and was ready to jump in after Peter, when he saw that
quick as a flash, on an order from their Chief, the pirates had
lowered a long rope with something bobbing at the end of it. Peter
when he came to the surface, seized this rope and was rapidly hauled
on board the pirate ship.

Ann came near falling overboard herself in her excitement. "Oh, Ruddy,
Ruddy!" she begged, "let's surrender right away quick. We can't leave
poor darling Peter to be carried off by those terrible cats."

"Cats?" said Rudolf,