ie up at the dock.

"Guess he must be giving orders to his Chums," replied a second sailor
who had Stubby in charge.

"Seems like it," said the one who held Button. "I expected them to
fight like the very dickens, didn't you?"

[Illustration]

"I surely did," answered the one who had spoken first. "But it is not
too late for them to show fight yet, and I bet all that talking His
Royal Highness, King Billy, has been doing has been orders to his
Chums to fight later on. You just wait and see."

Just then the Captain appeared on deck and ordered the sailors to take
the goat, dog and cat ashore and tie them in the warehouse on the
dock until he could find some place to board them until he heard from
France what to do with them.

"They are too valuable to leave just on the dock. They might get loose
or be stolen. Feed and water them and when I go up to the city I will
look for some trustworthy person to take care of them. By the way,
don't one of you know some one ashore who could house and feed them
until we hear?"

"Aye, aye, sir!" replied one of the sailors. "I have an uncle who
lives close to the docks. He keeps a small, cheap boarding-house for
sailors. He is a very kind-hearted man and fond of pets. I could take
them there and I am sure he would give them the best of care for very
little recompense."

"Just the thing! Just the place for them!" exclaimed the Captain. "You
may take them over there as soon as the gangplank is out. And you two
boys go with him. He might have trouble trying to manage all three
alone. Here is money to pay for the animals and to buy your own
dinners. Tell your Uncle I'll foot the bill before we sail and throw
in an extra dollar or two if he turns them over to me in good shape
when we call for them."

"Aye, aye, sir!" replied the sailor.

"Well, this beats all the good luck I ever heard of," said Billy, "for
we can get away from that boarding-house as easily as a cat laps
cream."

"You are right, we can, and have plenty of time too to lay our plans
as to what we will do when we escape," agreed Button.

"It looks as if we would sleep on feathers and eat fowl," said Stubby.

The three sailors took the three Chums over to the chop-house, where
they were given a hearty welcome by the sailor's uncle. He was so glad
to have his nephew back from the War unhurt that he gladly took in the
animals to please him. And I really think that had his nephew asked
him to let the Chums sleep in