ieve if we could make the image talk we'd learn what's at the
bottom of all these mysterious happenings. He looks as if he could
talk, doesn't he? Perhaps if we burned incense before him he might
speak."

"What is incense?" Hortense asked.

"This," said Grandfather, opening a drawer and showing her a
sweet-smelling powder. "If we burned this before him and he were
pleased with us, he might be made to talk. So the Hindoos believe. But
I'm afraid he'd pay no attention to unbelievers."

Grandfather was joking, of course, but nevertheless Hortense pondered
his words and made note of the drawer in which her Grandfather kept the
little packet of incense.

Late that afternoon Fergus arrived home with Tom and Jerry, having had
an awfully hard time getting them safely down the mountain side. It was
so late that Fergus had no time to see to the drawers which refused to
open in the lowboy and the highboy. For this Hortense was glad; she
feared that it would hurt Highboy and Lowboy to have the drawers forced
open and, besides, she meant that night to do her best to rescue them
from the Little People. To that end she ran to the hedge which divided
her yard from Andy's and, calling to Andy, told him her purpose.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XII

"_There are queer doings in this house._"

"I think," said Hortense, "that every one should go with us to-night,
Coal, Ember, Malay Kris, Owl, and even Alligator. For you see, not only
do we have to free Highboy and Lowboy from the Little People, but we
have to bring them safely home."

Andy thought for a moment.

"It will take a great many cookies," said he, "and it will probably be
difficult to make Malay Kris, Owl, and Coal and Ember eat thirteen
cookies each. Alligator, of course, will eat anything."

Hortense nodded.

"I've thought of that. I don't think Coal and Ember need be smaller
than they are to get through the tunnel; nor Owl either. Malay Kris,
I'm sure, will do as we ask him. That will make only four of us again,
and fifty-two cookies as before. I do hope there are that many. Aunt
Esmerelda says she's going to stop baking cookies, they go so fast."

Happily, the cooky jar was full again, and Hortense and Andy filled
their pockets with the fifty-two cookies.

When it was dark and still, Hortense explained the plan to her
companions. Alligator did not like the idea of becoming smaller, but
the thought of the cookies, nevertheless, decided him. He ate them one