bove the big stone under which he had his nest. When the party spied
him the Corporal mounted upon the rock and sounded a note or two upon
his bugle. Twist slowly lifted his head above the leaves, flung a coil
of his tail around a twig, looked down and at once recognized his
friend. He hissed forth as pleasant a greeting as he knew how to give,
listened patiently to Policy's request, looked wise, nodded his head in
approval, and at once promised to do his utmost.

"I will keep faith with you, good fairy," he said, lisping out the words
between tongue and teeth. "You may depenth upon me to crush out your old
enemieth, body, bag and baggage." Whereupon he wriggled among the
leaves, and took an extra coil or two of his tail around the twig.

"Thanks!" cried Policy, "and now, when will you begin operations, and
how many of us will you want to help you?"

"Now, I will begin now!" answered Twist; "and ath to aid, I athk for
none. If a few of you would like to go with me to thee my triumph over
the Pikthieth, come along! I thall make thort work of it, and you can
come back and thing my praitheth."

The Corporal detailed a squad of his men to go with Twist, and hurried
away to engage the service of Scaly. The water sprite was not so easily
found. Somewhere in the lake close by the rocks of the cape she had her
favorite haunt. The Brownies swung upon the overhanging weeds and bushes
and peered into the water, but could see nothing of her. Policy sounded
his bugle in vain. At length a water beetle, of the family known as
Whirligigs, thrust itself out of the lake, and began capering upon the
surface.

"Hello!" cried the Corporal.

"Her-rr-reep!" said the Whirligig, skipping nearer to the shore.

"Have you seen Scaly the Sprite down below?" asked Policy, "and would
you kindly tell us where she may be found?"

"Aye, that I can, Mr. Brownie. But what could you do even if I were to
tell you? Would you go down to the bottom of the lake to speak to her?
Ha, ha!" The little water beetle, who had been joined now by a group of
companions, cut sundry gyrations upon the lake, and circled round and
round in a merry dance with his friends. Clearly he was much pleased
that he was able to do something which a fairy could not do.

"Come now, Master Whirligig," said the Corporal, "you must oblige us in
this matter. You know that Brownies are your good friends; and you know
that we can't do what you can. Go and tell Scaly that we want to s