Part 9 (1/2)

”I wants Victowya Cyoss _now_!” he remarked, with his father's wrinkle of determination between the eyes showing very plain, as it always did when he wanted anything very much.

For when Toady Lion asked for a thing, like the person in the advertis.e.m.e.nt, he saw that he got it.

In vain it was pointed out to him that this ill-advised action const.i.tuted rank mutiny, and that he was liable to be arrested, tried by court-martial, and ignominiously shot. Toady Lion knew all about mutiny, and cared nothing about courts-martial. Besides, he had had some experience, and he knew the value of ”making oneself a nuisance”

in army matters.

Equally in vain was Sammy Carter's humorously false information that he had better run, for here was Janet coming up the road with an awful biggy stick.

”Don't care for Janet,” reiterated Toady Lion. ”I wants Victowya Cyoss--I wants it _now!_”

So there upon the roadside, at the very outset of the campaign, Sir Toady Lion was decorated with the much coveted ”For Valour” cross.

And he would be a bold man who would say that he did not deserve it.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE BATTLE OF THE BLACK SHEDS.

This much being settled, the army of Windy Standard advanced upon the enemy's entrenchments.

Prissy was the only soldier in the force with any religious convictions of a practical kind. On this occasion she actually wanted to send a mission to the foe with an offer of peace, on condition of their giving up Donald to his rightful owners. She instanced as an example of the kind of thing she meant, the verses about turning the other cheek. But General Napoleon had his answer ready.

”Well,” he said, ”that's all right. That's in the Bible, so I s'pose you have got to believe it. But I was looking at it last Sunday in sermon time, and it doesn't say what you are to do _after_ you turn the other cheek. So yesterday I tried it on Tommy Pratt to see how it worked, and he hit me on the other cheek like winking, and made my eyes water. So then I took off my coat, and, Jove!--didn't I just give him Billy-O! Texts aren't so bad. They are mostly all right, if you only read on a bit!”

”But,” said Prissy, ”perhaps you forgot that a soft answer turneth away wrath?”

”Don't, nother,” contradicted Sir Toady Lion, whose p.r.o.nunciation of ”wrath” and ”horse” was identical, and who persistently misunderstood the Scriptural statement which Janet Sheepshanks had once made him learn without explanation. ”Tried soft answer on big horse in the farm-yard, yesterday, and he didn't turn away a little bit, but comed right on, and tried to eat me _all_ up!”

Toady Lion always had at least one word in italics in each sentence.

Prissy looked towards her ally and fellow-private for a.s.sistance.

”Love your----” suggested Sammy, giving her a new cue. Prissy thanked him with a look.

”Well,” she said, ”at least you won't deny that it says in the New Testament that you are to love your enemies!”

”I don't yike the New Test'ment,” commented Toady Lion in his shrill high pipe, which cuts through all other conversation as easily as a sharp knife cleaves a bar of soap; ”ain't never n.o.body killed dead in the New Test'ment!”

”Hush, Arthur George,” said Prissy in a shocked voice, ”you must not speak like that about the New Testament. It says 'Love your enemies!'

'Do good to them that hate you!' Now then!”

Hugh John turned away with a disgusted look on his face.