Part 9 (2/2)
”Perhaps she will be angry with us for disobeying the Watch-Dog's orders,” Dot whispered; ”and then she may punish us in some terrible manner.”
”No, she won't,” replied Tot, confidently.
”Perhaps she will make us slaves and compel us to work for her,”
continued Dot, with a little shudder.
”No, she won't,” protested Tot, stoutly.
”Why won't she, Tot?” asked the girl.
”'Cause it's Merryland,” returned the boy.
”Ah! That's true,” said Dot, thoughtfully; ”the Queen of this lovely and happy country couldn't be very cross with us.”
”Course not,” agreed Tot.
”Then we won't be afraid,” she added, her courage restored by Tot's simple faith; ”but will wait and see what happens to us.”
The boat now swept around a bend in the river, and they saw they were in a Valley somewhat larger than any they had yet visited; but their view was shut off by a high wall that ran along the river bank on one side, and by the rocky edge of the Valley on the other side.
The wall was higher than their heads when they stood up in the boat, and upon its top Dot noticed several little wooden soldiers, with guns on their shoulders, walking stiffly back and forth, as if they were keeping guard. Each of these soldiers was seemingly made out of one piece of wood, and wore a high black hat and a red coat with black b.u.t.tons, while his trousers were painted white. The guns did not look very dangerous, and Dot remembered that once she had owned a box of just such looking soldiers as these.
But the soldiers on the wall were moving around, and Dot's soldiers had never moved at all--at least, while she was looking at them. What they might have done when she was not looking she, of course, could not tell.
The wooden soldiers paid no attention to the boat, which glided slowly down the stream, while the children looked for a place to land.
”Perhaps we'll float right through the Valley,” whispered Dot, ”and then the Queen will never know we've been in her country at all.”
In a few moments, however, they saw a gate in the wall, made of wood and nearly covered with gold and silver plates that shone brightly in the sun. In front of this gate was a little landing place and some steps leading down to the river. They floated up to the steps and stopped, so Dot and Tot got out and tied the boat to a silver ring in the wall. Then they walked to the gate, where Dot was just putting out her hand to open it, when she heard a voice cry:
”Halt!”
She looked up and saw that on each side of the gate was standing one of the wooden soldiers. Their guns were pointed straight at Dot and Tot, and although the soldiers were not much taller than Tot's knee, the children were startled at their warlike att.i.tude and stood still in surprise.
”Can't we open the gate?” asked the girl, after a moment.
”No!” answered one of the soldiers, in a voice he tried to make gruff, but which sounded rather squeaky, as if it needed oiling.
”Why not?” inquired Tot.
”It's against orders,” replied the soldier. ”The Queen has commanded me to shoot any stranger who tries to open the gate.”
”But your gun is only wood,” said Dot, who was annoyed at the soldier's interference.
”Wooden guns can't shoot!” shouted Tot, gleefully.
The soldier seemed somewhat embarra.s.sed at this and Dot thought he blushed a little.
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