ouse?"

Prowler trembled all over. "A--a--week, sir," he mumbled, "that is, I
couldn't _swear_ to the date, sir, but 'twas at my aunt's and she
never has us to tea on a Monday, for that's wash-day, nor on a
Tuesday, for that's missionary, so it must 'a' been--"

"No use, 't won't work, Prowler." The Chief grinned and waved a paw to
one of the spotted sailors. "Here, you, bring along the
Cat-O'-Nine-Tails!"

At this the children were immediately very much interested, for they
had never in their lives seen a cat with more than one tail.

"It would take nine times as much pulling--" Rudolf was whispering to
Peter, when he noticed a new commotion among the sailors. The black
and white sea-cat had turned to carry out the Chief's order when
suddenly some one called out "A breeze, a breeze!" and in the
excitement of getting the _Merry Mouser_ under way, the captain's
attention was turned, and Prowler and his crime were forgotten.

All this time Ann and Rudolf and Peter had been standing a little
apart from the rest under guard of the Maltese pirate at whose feet
lay the dreadful black bags all ready for use. In the confusion Rudolf
turned to Ann and whispered, "Do you suppose we could possibly stir up
a mutiny? Prowler must be pretty sore against the Chief! If we could
only get him and Growler on our side and make them help us seize
Mittens and drop him overboard."

But Ann shook her head, and as for Peter he doubled up his little
fists and cried out loud: "Nobody sha'n't touch my Mittens! I don't
care if he _is_ a pirate cat. I'm going to ask my Aunt Jane if I
can't take him home with me to Thirty-fourth Street!"

"Sh--sh!" Ann whispered, putting her hand over his mouth, but it was
too late! Mittens had crept stealthily up behind Peter and now he
popped one of the black bags over his head. At the same instant, Ann,
kicking and struggling, vanished into another held open by two of the
spotted cats, and before Rudolf could rush to her rescue a third bag
descended over his own head. It was no use struggling, yet struggle
they did, till Mittens sent three of the spotted sailors to sit on
them, and _then_ they soon quieted down. There were one or two small
breathing holes in each bag, or else the children would surely have
suffocated, so stout and heavy were those spotted cats. After what
seemed to them a very long time a cry of "Land ho!" was raised, and
the cats got up and rushed away to join in the general fuss and
con