here remained fixed.

"I have a deep and tender interest in one of them," exclaimed Blythe.
"And I pledge you my word, with the boatswain, to stand between you and
death if you will tell us where we can find Faith and Sophia."

There was a moment's silence, so profound that one might almost have
heard his neighbor's heart beat as the Brownies awaited the Pixinee's
answer. The fate of their beloved Nurses seemed to hang upon her lips.
Tigrina at last broke the silence:

"You will give me my life?" she said.

"Yes!" cried a score of eager voices.

"And set me free?"

"Aye, aye!" was the hearty chorus.

"And give me--that?" continued Tigrina, pointing her hairy claw toward
the flute in Blythe's hand.

"It is yours!" cried the Adjutant, flinging the instrument into the
Pixinee's lap.

Tigrina clutched it eagerly, turned it over and over, as a child would a
new toy, looked into it, touched the keys, put it to her ears and
listened, then laid it down upon her lap and gazed at it with childish
fondness. All this time the Brownies looked on impatiently, but not
inclined to interfere.

"Hah!" exclaimed Tigrina, "and will it sing for me, too? Pretty bird!
Sing, sing!" she said as she fondled the flute tenderly.

"Come, come, old lady," cried Pipe at last. "Be done with this nonsense!
Remember that neither life, freedom, nor the flute are yours until you
keep your part of the bargain. So hurry up."

Tigrina looked up again with the old fierce, sullen face. "Ugh! To be
sure. Well, gentlemen, I have sworn not to tell any one where the
fairies are. But that big officer yonder--," she cast a savage glance at
True, "knows where I live, I reckon. There's nothing to hinder you from
following up what you have already found out yourselves, is there?"

A cry of joy arose from the party at these words. The hint was taken at
once. What news! Faith and Sophia were found at last! Hurrah!

Pipe turned eagerly upon Sergeant True.

"The door, the door!" he cried, "where is the door of the old hag's
cave?"

Blythe sprang forward, grasped Tigrina by the arm until she fairly
winced under the pressure, and exclaimed, "are they alive?--are they
safe? Speak!"

"Both!" was the answer.

The cool, clear voice of Captain Clearview broke in upon the excitement.
"Come, my friends, this is not wise. You are giving way to hopes that
may be dashed from you. What have you to rely upon for them all? The
word of an old Pixinee condemned to d