r away from the tempting fruit
and after Andy and Hortense, who had gone down the path. The path
wandered every which way and seemed to go on forever.

"This isn't the way to the Cat's house at any rate," said Hortense,
stopping to take breath, for they had gone at a rapid pace.

"What's that?" exclaimed Highboy.

All listened intently. There seemed, indeed, to be something moving
among the bushes. Almost as soon as it started, the slight noise
stopped, and they went on.

The path suddenly came to an end in an open place. Hortense and the
others paused to look around, and as if by magic, innumerable Little
People appeared on all sides--archers in green coats, armed with bows
and arrows; pike-men in helmets and breastplates, and swordsmen with
great two handled swords slung across their backs.

The captain of the fairy army, a fierce little man with a pointed
mustache, stepped forward.

"Yield!" he commanded in a sharp voice. "You are prisoners! Bind them
and take them to the King."

His men did as they were bid, and in a twinkling Hortense and Andy and
Highboy and Lowboy found themselves with bound hands, marching forward,
surrounded by the armed Little People.

"We are bound to have a trying time," said Lowboy, joking as usual.
"The King will try us."

Hortense and Andy were too depressed to enjoy jokes, and Highboy, with
tears streaming down his cheeks, was composing a poem bidding a sad
farewell to home and friends. Hortense could hear him trying rhymes to
find one which would fit--"home, moan, bone, lone."

"Those don't rhyme," said Hortense irritably. "It must end with _m_,
not _n_."

"But so few good words end in _m_," Highboy protested. "There's _roam_
of course. That might do. For instance,

If once again I see my home
Never more at night I'll roam.

Not bad is it?"

Hortense thought it very bad indeed but didn't say so, for Highboy was
finding pleasure in his rhymes and she hadn't the heart to depress him.
She held tight to Andy's hand and walked on without speaking.

They were marched into a little glade, brightly lighted with glowworms
and fireflies imprisoned in crystal lamps. The Queen sat upon her
throne, but the King walked up and down in front of his and tugged at
his tawny beard, and he looked very fierce.

"Here are the prisoners, your Majesty," said the captain of the guard,
saluting.

"Ha," said the King. "Good, we'll try and condemn them at once."

"Please, your Maje