l saw her. He
lifted his bugle and sounded the alarm.

"Ter-ah! Tra-la, la-lah!"

The answer came like an echo from a score of bugles, and the air was
full of the notes. Cteniza turned and ran toward her cave. MacWhirlie
heaved up his axe and struck a double-handed blow. One of the lines
which held up the trap was severed. Again he struck. The second line
parted and down fell the trap with a heavy thud, just as the giantess
reached it. She was shut out from her cave! A glance showed her the
cause of her misfortune, and then her huge form shook with rage. She
leaped upon the ridge. But by this time the Brownie officers were well
away in hot flight, and the circle of guards was rapidly closing around
them. A stir throughout the Brownie camp beyond showed that a general
alarm had been sounded, and the whole army was falling into line. But
could the devoted officers and their little band escape destruction?

"Stand!" cried MacWhirlie. He himself stopped short in his flight and
faced toward Cteniza, who was pressing forward with uplifted claws and
clattering tusks. Vigilant stopped and stood beside his Lieutenant. The
sentinels gathered around them. Scarce a dozen of them! It seemed as if
the Pixie might crush them all at a blow.

"Attention!" called the Lieutenant. "There is but one chance left us. We
must skirmish with this monster as best we can until the troops come up.
Mark those bushes to the right and left. Ready! Vault!"

MacWhirlie gave these commands in sharp, rapid tones that seemed to
impart his own spirit to the sentinels. Cteniza had approached within
half a bow shot of the Lieutenant as the final order was given. At the
word "vault," every Brownie disappeared into the foliage of the bushes
to right and left, and there perched on the outer leaves with bows and
spears in hand.

The giantess paused and stood with raised arms, rampant and threatening.
She panted with anger and exertion. She looked to this side and that,
before her, behind her, but saw no sign of her enemies. From the top of
a tall clump of grass above her MacWhirlie's voice called: "Fire!"
Cteniza started; a lance had struck her face; an arrow had cut through
her shaggy robe and broke flesh upon the abdomen; a dozen other weapons
bounded back harmlessly from the chest, or frayed the skin upon arms and
legs. She leaped upon the clump of grass whence MacWhirlie had issued
the order. The stalks bent down so quickly under the great weight, that