nd suddenly stopped again.

"Be ashamed of yourselves!" exclaimed old Mr. Rabbit, rapping on the
floor with his cane. "Be ashamed! Where are your manners? Go and speak
to our friends and make your best bow, too,--don't forget that!" Mr.
Rabbit appeared to be very indignant.

Mrs. Meadows was in a better humor. "This," she said, as the
queer-looking girl came forward, "is Chickamy Crany Crow, and this,"
as the very queer-looking boy came timidly up, "is Tickle-My-Toes."

They bowed, and then went off a little way, looking very solemn and
comical. They didn't dare glance at each other for fear they would
begin laughing again. The reason they looked so queer was because,
although they acted like children, they were old in appearance,--as
old as a person past middle age.

"They are country-raised, poor things! You'll have to excuse them.
They don't know any better." Mr. Thimblefinger sighed as he said this,
and looked thoughtful.

"What about the Talking-Saddle?" Buster John inquired. "You said the
story wasn't finished."

"To be sure! To be sure!" Mr. Thimblefinger cried. "My mind is like a
wagon without a tongue. It goes every way but the right way. Where was
I? Oh, yes, I remember now."

"Well, the Mayor was very thankful to Tip-Top for saving his treasure
and his horses, but he wasn't satisfied about the saddle. He was
worried. Now, you know when a child is worried it cries, but when a
grown man is worried he sits down and looks away off, and puts his
elbow in his hand and his finger to his nose--so."

"Oh, I've seen papa do that," laughed Sweetest Susan.

"Yes, that's the way the Mayor did," Mr. Thimblefinger continued.
"There was a great thief in that country who had never been caught. He
didn't care for judges and juries and courthouses. He always sent the
Mayor word when he was coming to the city and when he was going away.

"Now, the Mayor had received a letter from this man just the day
before Tip-Top came. The thief said he was coming after a fine
race-horse that was owned by the Mayor's brother. So the Mayor sat and
thought, and finally he asked Tip-Top if his Talking-Saddle could
catch a famous thief.

"'It has just caught four common rogues, your honor,' replied Tip-Top,
'and I think it can catch one uncommon thief.'

"Then the Mayor told Tip-Top that the most famous thief in all that
country intended to steal his brother's race-horse. Tip-Top said he
must see the horse, and together they went t