Part 12 (2/2)
Rudolf took back his sword, while Ann gave a little scream and seized both the Knight's mailed hands in hers. ”I'm sorry not to oblige you,”
said Rudolf firmly, ”but I can't do anything of the sort. I never cut anybody's head off in my life, and the sword's not so awful sharp, you know, and then how can you tell a new head will grow at your time of life?”
”Oh, I'd risk that,” said the Knight-mare lightly. ”I do wish you'd think it over. If you knew what a life mine is! All my days spent browsing round on shoots here in the wood, without a single adventure because n.o.body's willing to be rescued by the likes of me! And then the nights! Oh”--groaned the poor fellow--”the nights are the worst of all!”
”What do you do then?” asked Rudolf and Ann.
”Oh, I'm ridden to death,” sighed the Knight-mare. ”As if it wasn't bad enough to scare folks all day _not_ meaning to, without being sent out nights to do it on purpose!” He looked over his shoulder as if he was afraid some one might be listening, and then added in a low voice, ”And it's not my fault, either, I swear it's not. _They_ actually make me do it!”
The children s.h.i.+vered, for they guessed at once that ”they” meant the Bad Dreams. Then they suddenly recollected poor little Peter, whom their last adventure and the Knight-mare's talk had quite put out of their minds.
”I tell you what,” said Rudolf suddenly, ”I'll make a bargain with you. My little brother has run away to find the Bad Dreams, and we have got to find him and bring him back. If you'll lead us to him and help us all you can, why--why--I won't promise--but I'll see what I can do for you.”
The Knight-mare gave a loud triumphant neigh. ”Ods-bodikins and bran mas.h.!.+” he cried. ”You're worth rescuing for nothing, the whole lot of you! But”--he added mournfully--”I ought to warn you to keep away from that crowd--they're a bad lot. You'd do better to cut along home.”
”We can't do that,” cried Rudolf and Ann together.
”Then come with me,” said the Knight-mare. ”It's only a short way to--”
He was suddenly interrupted by a fresh commotion in the wood. Heavy bodies were parting the undergrowth back of where they stood. Before the children could think of escape, four strange figures sprang on them from behind, their arms were seized, they were tripped up, and they landed very hard upon the ground. Both knew in a moment what had happened. The Bad Dreams had caught them!
[Ill.u.s.tration]
[Ill.u.s.tration]
CHAPTER XIII
THE BAD DREAMS
At first the children's view was entirely shut off by the size and heaviness of the things that were sitting on their chests. They had been completely taken by surprise and they had not even breath enough left to cry out, but lay still and listened to what was going on about them. This is what they heard:
”Ye arre arristid in the name of the Law!” a gruff voice was saying.
”Move on, move on, move on.”
”One moment, Officer,” a second voice interrupted. ”Imprison these young persons, if you are so disposed, but pray allow me first my little opportunity to practise on them. This young lady--ahem! We will begin by extracting that large molar on the upper left-hand side, we will then have out two or three--”
”Ugh--ugh!” A series of hoa.r.s.e grunts, and what had been sitting on Rudolf rose up and rushed at the last speaker. ”No, no! Big Chief first! Big Chief Thunder-snorer take two fine scalp--ha! ha!”
There was a confused sound of struggling and voices arguing, and in another moment Ann was relieved of her burden which, with a mighty moo, got up and joined the others. Ann sat up and clung to Rudolf, while the Knight-mare who was standing close beside her, laid a protecting hand upon her shoulder. When she saw what had been holding her down, she gave a little shriek. It was a small spotted cow in a red flannel petticoat. She wore stout b.u.t.ton boots on her hind feet, and she now reared herself upon these to flourish two angry hoofs over the sleek head of a little man in a white linen coat who held a tiny mirror in one hand and a pair of pincers in the other. Ann took a great dislike to this little man at once, and felt more afraid of him than of the Cow or of the handsome Indian Chief in full war-paint--feather head-dress and all--who was brandis.h.i.+ng his tomahawk, sometimes in the face of the Little Dentist, again under the turned-up nose of a large fat Policeman who stood with folded arms, the only calm member of that much-excited group.
The Knight-mare stepped forward and put himself between the children and the Bad Dreams. ”Look here, you fellows,” he said quietly, ”you may as well stop this nonsense first as last. You haven't got any business here, and well you know it. If the Boss finds you've been disposing of any prisoners without his permission--well--_you_ know what'll happen!”
That the Bad Dreams did know was to be seen by their foolish scared expressions. The Indian Chief, with a disappointed grunt, replaced his tomahawk in his belt, and seated himself cross-legged on the gra.s.s, drawing his blanket closely about him. The Policeman stopped murmuring ”Move on!” The Cow dropped clumsily on all fours and began to crop the bushes. Even the Little Dentist put his pincers back into his pocket, though he still looked wistfully at Ann, who avoided his eye as much as she could. This was a very terrifying company in which the children found themselves, and in spite of the comforting presence of the friendly Knight-mare, they felt very doubtful of their present safety, not to speak of what might be done to them when once they were in the clutches of that dreadful ”Boss”, whom even the Bad Dreams seemed to be afraid of.
”He has all the fun, anyway,” snorted the Cow, switching her tail.
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