Happily, the cooky jar was full again, and Hortense and Andy filled their pockets with the fifty-two cookies.
When it was dark and still, Hortense explained the plan to her companions. Alligator did not like the idea of becoming smaller, but the thought of the cookies, nevertheless, decided him. He ate them one after another as fast as Hortense could toss them into his mouth and at the thirteenth he became no larger than a little baby alligator. Malay Kris likewise ate his bravely and became small accordingly.
"Luckily, I"ll be even sharper than before," said he.
Owl glared upon these proceedings with contempt.
"This is all foolishness," said he.
"But you"ll come, won"t you?" Hortense asked anxiously. "You can help us a great deal because you can see in the dark. Besides," she added, "we want your advice."
"Much heed you"ll take of it," Owl grumbled. He was pleased, nevertheless, and swelled out his feathers complacently.
"Then let us start at once," said Hortense, leading the way.
She and Andy had decided that the tunnel way was best, for they could not easily climb the mountain and to ride on Tom and Jerry was to invite capture by the Little People, whom they must avoid.
They hurried as fast as they could and met no one. Their only difficulty was in getting Alligator through the cave under the brook, for he liked the feel of the water dripping on his hide. However, now that he was small he was easier to manage than before, and Coal and Ember dragged him away despite his protests.
When at last they came out from the tunnel, the blue moon was shining as before upon the roof of the Cat"s house. The house itself was dark, but for a flicker of firelight on a windowpane.
"Look in and see if any one is there," Hortense whispered to Owl.
Obediently he flew and peered in at the window, returning to say that all he could see was the clock. So Hortense ventured in, finding the house empty as Owl had said, save for Grandfather"s Clock.
"They"re all out, tick tock," said the Clock. "But it is dangerous to remain, for Grater is very angry and desperate to-night."
Hortense looked in the gla.s.s case for her charm but could not find it.
"You had best get it back somehow," said the Clock. "It gives Jeremiah and Grater power."
"But how can I?" said Hortense anxiously.
"Who can say?" said the Clock. "But in time anything may happen."
"Do you know what will happen?" Hortense asked exasperatedly. "If you are Time, everything will happen in you, and so you must know what everything is and will be."
"I know, but I do not say," the Clock replied. "That is how I keep my reputation for wisdom."
Hortense hurried back to the others, and they proceeded beyond the house and through the woods until they neared the raspberry patch.
"You go ahead," said Hortense to Owl, "and spy out the land. Perhaps some of the Little People are about."
Owl flew off as directed and returned shortly to say, "Two of the guard are seated on the edge of the strawberry field. I could not hear what they said, but perhaps if you creep quietly through the bushes you can overhear."
Andy and Hortense, telling the others to wait, did as suggested.
Creeping cautiously through the bushes, they could hear the little soldiers talking together before they could see them. Unfortunately, Andy stepped on a dry stem which broke with a snap. The soldiers ceased talking at once and Andy and Hortense lay still, scarcely daring to breathe.
"What was that?" asked one of the soldiers at last in a low voice.
"It must have been a bird," said the other. "I saw a great owl only a moment ago."
Then they resumed their talk.
"Well, it makes our work easier to have them gone," said one. "The short fat fellow was always eating the strawberries instead of putting them in his basket, and the tall one wouldn"t work when he had a rhyme to find."
"And now," said the other, "they are to wear fine clothes and have nothing to do. It must have been the Queen who interceded for them."
"I don"t call it nothing to do to make jokes all day or to write a poem when ordered," said the first.
"True," his companion replied. "I should rather pick berries. Meanwhile I"m going to take a nap. The Captain won"t be back for hours."
"Me, too," the other agreed. "We"ll lay our breastplates and helmets to hand and slip them on when we hear him coming."
Thereupon silence ensued, and Hortense and Andy lay still. It was evident, Hortense was thinking, that Highboy and Lowboy had been ordered back to court, and to help them escape would be difficult, for how dared she and Andy go near it, escaped prisoners as they were?
After a time Hortense nudged Andy and they crept forward together until, by parting the bushes, they could see the little soldiers fast asleep, their swords and armor beside them. Cautiously, Hortense reached out and drew a breastplate towards her and followed it by seizing a helmet and a sword. Andy, at a nod, did likewise, and with their captured arms they made their way slowly back through the bushes to a safe distance.
"We must put them on and disguise ourselves so that we can go to the court," said Hortense, slipping on the breastplate and helmet and buckling the sword-belt about her. "If we pull the visors of our helmets down, no one will recognize us."
"But what of the others?" Andy inquired, adjusting his armor.
Hortense clapped her hands.
"I know," said she, "we"ll pretend we"ve captured them, and take them to the King."
"It will be all the harder for us to escape later," warned Andy.
"We must risk that," Hortense replied. "Besides, the Queen may aid us if we tell her everything. She is much kinder and wiser than the King."
So it was decided to lay the plan before the others, which they did.
"I"m content," said Owl, "for no one can keep me captive if I wish to escape."
"And I," said Malay Kris, "am afraid of nothing."
"I"ll swallow any one who interferes with me," said Alligator.
"They"ll not hurt us," said Coal and Ember growling.
"Then, if we"re all agreed, let"s go to the King"s court," said Hortense, and with her and Andy leading the way, off they went.
The court was a.s.sembled in a glade in the woods, all the Little People grouped about their King and Queen. When Andy and Hortense appeared with their odd captives, way was made for them, every one staring in surprise. Even the King was dumb with astonishment.
"What have we here, a traveling circus?" said he at last.
"Prisoners we captured near the Royal Raspberry Patch," said Andy in as martial a tone as he could muster.