ng Overspun Themselves."]

Now what should Spite do, but make his way straight to the old chest. He
discovered that in one corner the joints of the planks had sprung open a
little. "That will do bravely, I think!" He crept into the crack to try
if it fitted his size.

"Very good indeed," he exclaimed, and then ran to report.

King Cobweb was quite satisfied. Spite thereupon hid himself in the open
seam with two other Pixies named Hide and Heady, and, having overspun
themselves with a silken covering, made the voyage to America in the
old chest with the Brownies.[J]

When safely landed at Hillside, he reported to the nearest tribe of
Pixies. He was received with great favor as a distinguished foreigner;
was feasted, petted, and his wonderful skill in strategy heralded
everywhere. In short, he was quite a lion, and his fame was even greater
in America than on the other side of the Atlantic. Spite took his honors
gracefully, enjoyed them hugely, acknowledged them publicly, hobnobbed
with his friends, and took occasion when talking in private with his two
countrymen, to ridicule the customs and manners of American Pixies. That
was very mean, to be sure; but what better could you expect from Spite
the Spy?

In the midst of all his junketings and sight-seeing Spite never once
forgot the great object of his journey. He was spinning out his plots
against the Brownies, counseling with his American friends how he might
worry, injure and destroy them, and forming leagues for that purpose.

That was the beginning of troubles for the Brownies at Hillside.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote H: Appendix, Note A.]

[Footnote I: Appendix, Note B.]

[Footnote J: Appendix, Note C.]

CHAPTER III.

ADVENTURES OF THE BROWNIE SCOUTS.

The war upon the Brownie colony thus begun by Spite the Spy had been
waged from year to year until the third generation of the Willes,
Governor Wille himself, occupied Hillside. Sometimes the Pixies got the
advantage, sometimes the Brownies; but on the whole the Pixies gained
ground. Slowly the Brownies were being driven in towards the Mansion
house, followed closely by their foes. At last the malicious
persecutors, led by Spite, pitched their tents and reared a strong
fortification at the upper end of the Lawn. Their scouts bivouacked
beneath the very windows of my Lady Governor's chamber. This would never
have been had not Governor Wille lately grown heedless of his good fairy
friends, and left