'll all keep on to
Low Dudgeon, and we'll go in there, if we can get in, and decide there
what we had better do. It looked like a strong tower, and we would
certainly be as safe inside there as out of doors, if the pirates should
come along."

The Professor looked down the line of his companions. "What is the sense
of the Committee on this proposal?" said he. "Ah. Very good. We are
agreed. Proceed, my dear sir."

"One minute," said Aunt Amanda. "Excuse my asking, but I should like to
know who you are, anyway."

The Professor waved a fat hand towards his companions, and looking at
Aunt Amanda, said:

"We belong, madam, to the Society for Piratical Research, under the
patronage of his gracious Majesty, the King of this Island. You behold
before you a committee of that Society; the Committee on Doubtful and
Fabulous Tales, sometimes called for the sake of brevity, from the
initials of its title, the Daft Committee. As Third Vice-President of
the Society for Piratical Research, I have the honour to be Chairman of
the Daft Committee. The seat of our Society is far from here, in the
principal city of this kingdom, the famous City of Towers, blest as the
residence of his gracious Majesty, the most learned and liberal of
princes. Our camp, which we made only late this evening, lies at no
great distance from this spot. We did not wish to delay our researches
until morning, and so, as Third Vice-President of the Society for
Piratical Research, and Chairman of the Daft Committee, I--"

"Much obliged," said Toby. "We've no time to listen to any more. We must
get on."

The Daft Committee, led by the Third Vice-President, fell in behind the
mules, and the whole party moved forward, as rapidly as the mules and
the committee could walk.

Aunt Amanda felt far from easy at the prospect of entering Low Dudgeon;
but she had told Toby something of Ketch's strange words and manner
regarding that place, and she was glad to leave the responsibility to
him. Their dark and silent progress through the forest continued, and
when they had gone what they thought must have been about half a mile,
they knew they must be near their destination. Every eye was watchful
and every ear was alert. A grunt from Toby in advance notified the
others that they had arrived, and they filed out of the forest into the
clearing, and saw before them the squat tower of Low Dudgeon in the
moonlight.

The same light as before appeared from within, through the u