Over the walls of the fort they peeked.
There stood six soldiers staring at them. The six soldiers stood very still. They were all white, but their eyes were black like pieces of coal, and they stared hard at the three little soldiers within the fort. Over their shoulders were six long round things.
"Guns," said Jehosophat.
They looked around for the Toyman. He did not come. Their hearts beat fast.
"We"re not afraid," shouted Jehosophat at the white soldiers. "Come on, you enemy!"
With that they heard a sound far off.
_Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat._
"What"s that?" cried the smallest little soldier. And Captain Jehosophat answered:
"Drums, drums,
"The enemy comes!"
Then he laughed. He had made a rhyme without thinking anything about it.
But he stopped laughing. It was no time for play. There was hard work ahead. Those six white soldiers in front of the fort were ready to attack.
And there were more coming.
"Load!" he commanded.
Each little soldier took up a s...o...b..ll.
_Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat_.
The drums sounded nearer now.
_Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat_.
Around the house came the sound of the drum.
Over the walls of the fort they peeked--very carefully.
There was a man marching. He looked something like the Toyman. But could it be? No, for he was so changed. The man had a horn around his neck, and a feather in his hat, and his face was stern. He was whistling "Yankee Doodle." It sounded like a fife, and all the time he was beating the drum with all his might.
_Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat_.
On through the snow the Tall Enemy marched. He reached the six white soldiers who stood so still, with their guns over their shoulders.
He stopped and called out to the three little soldiers in the fort in a loud voice:
"SURRENDER OR WE ATTACK!"
"_Never_!" was the brave answer of Captain Jehosophat.
"_Fire_!" he commanded.
Then he let a s...o...b..ll fly.
He hit the Tall Enemy right in the face.
Then Marmaduke let another s...o...b..ll fly.
That hit one of the white soldiers and knocked his black eye out.
And Hepzebiah threw her s...o...b..ll. She tried very hard. But it didn"t go very far and didn"t do any damage.
Jehosophat looked worried at that. He couldn"t depend on Hepzebiah at all.
That left but two of them--against so many--and on came the Tall Enemy with the feather in his cap, still beating his drum.
_Rat-a-tat-tat_. _Rat-a-tat-tat_. _Rat-a-tat-tat_.
The little soldiers must fight bravely now.
Fast flew the s...o...b..a.l.l.s.
He was very near.
Then Marmaduke picked up the last s...o...b..ll. He took good aim for it was the last of their ammunition. Then he let it fly. It hit the Tall Enemy Man right over his heart.
He fell in the snow.
"You"ve done for me!" he called in a weak voice.
Then the three little soldiers shouted and ran out of the fort.
There in the snow lay the dying enemy.
"You"ve won," he said in a sad voice. "I surrender."
"Hurrah, we"ve won!" they shouted. Then they stopped. They felt very sorry for the enemy, for after all he had been very brave.
They bent over him.
Then something happened. All of a sudden the enemy seized the three little soldiers in his arms.
And he laughed! Yes, laughed.
And hugged them all at once.
And the three little soldiers laughed happily too. For the Tall Enemy had been the Toyman all the time and the six silent soldiers were only made of snow.
Behind his heels they trudged into the house. But the Toyman had to carry the littlest soldier in his arms. She was very cold and very tired.