"Nonsense," said Hortense sharply. "This is hide and seek and not a pirate ship."
"In that case," said Malay Kris, "I"ll join you in a friendly game."
Down he leaped as agile as a cat, a trim, slim fellow with bright eyes.
"And now for Alligator," said Hortense. "He"s asleep, as usual."
She shook him roughly, and Alligator spoke in a hoa.r.s.e voice like a rusty saw.
"Who"s tickling me?"
"His voice needs oiling," said Owl.
"A fat pig is what I need," said Alligator.
"Well we have no fat pigs," said Hortense. "We are going to play hide and seek."
"I"ll play, of course," said Alligator, "but I"m slow on my feet. Now if it were a lake or river, I"d show you a thing or two."
"The point is, who is to be _It_? said Owl.
"Very true," said Lowboy. "He"s a mind like a judge--never forgets the point."
"She"s _It_, of course," said Malay Kris. "She thought of the game."
"Oh, very well," said Hortense.
"It would be more polite to make Andy _It_," said Owl. "Always be polite to ladies."
"I"ll choose between Andy and me," said Hortense.
"Eeny, meeny, mona, my Barcelona bona sky, Care well, Broken well, We wo wack.
"I"m _It_. I"ll count to a hundred, and the newel post in the hall will be goal."
There was a hurrying and scurrying while Hortense hid her face.
"Ready," Hortense called and opened her eyes. She moved cautiously in the dark hall and stumbled over something at the second step.
Slap, slap, slap, something went against the newel post.
"One, two, three for me," said a hoa.r.s.e voice.
"That isn"t fair. You slapped with your tail," said Hortense.
"Why isn"t it fair?" said Alligator. "I wouldn"t stand a chance with you running. Now go ahead and find the others while I take a nap."
"Well, there are plenty more," Hortense consoled herself. "I"ll look in Grandmother"s room first."
The first thing she saw was the bright eyes of Owl, who was perched on the mantel.
"I see you," said Hortense and started to run back.
But Owl flew over her head and was perched on the newel post when she arrived.
"Dear me," said Hortense, "I"ll be _It_ all the time at this rate. I wonder if Coal and Ember are in the fireplace. She looked, but they weren"t there.
"I"ll try the library," thought Hortense.
She hadn"t more than reached the center of the room when Coal and Ember dashed past her.
"Why didn"t you tell me?" said Hortense reproachfully to the bronze image of Buddha seated placidly on his pedestal. The image didn"t deign to reply.
"I wish I could make him talk," said Hortense aloud.
Somebody snickered in the corner.
"Sounds like Lowboy," said Hortense.
Lowboy started to run for the door but collided with a chair.
"I"ve scratched myself," said Lowboy.
Hortense did not wait to console him. Instead, she ran to the newel post.
"One, two, three for Lowboy!" she called. "Lowboy"s _It_. All-y all-y out"s in free."
Malay Kris crawled out from behind the clock, and the others appeared one by one.
"Lowboy"s _It_," said Hortense.
Lowboy shut his eyes and began to count. Hortense seized Andy by the hand and ran with him up the stairs.
"We"ll hide in the attic," she whispered.
Up and up they ran, softly opened the door to the attic, and hid behind a trunk in the corner.
"They"ll never find us," said Andy.
They lay quiet and heard nothing for a long time.
"Perhaps they"ve given up," said Andy.
"Ssh!" Hortense whispered.
Something was running very fast up the stairs. It did not stop at the top, but raced on to the ladder which reached to the cupola above.
Hortense peeped out. On the sill of the open window above stood Jeremiah with arched back and swollen tail. His yellow eyes shone like lamps.
"Of all things!" said Hortense.