t.

Things looked very dark for Billy Woodchuck--especially when Major
Monkey grinned horribly at him between the rails and said:

"Too bad, my boy! But this is war, you know.... Please don't forget
the time! To-morrow, at sunrise!"

Billy Woodchuck's heart sank. He wished he had never joined the army.
And then an idea came to him. It was such a simple one that it is a
wonder he hadn't thought of it instantly. Instead of going _over_ the
fence, to everybody's surprise he squirmed _under_ it. And everybody
was vastly relieved. Even Major Monkey appeared to be delighted.

"I'm afraid"--he said with a smile--"I'm afraid we'll have to shoot the
rest of the army at sunrise, for they went over the fence last."

But Mr. Crow spoke up and said: "Nonsense! The rest of us went over
_first_!"

Major Monkey had to admit that that was true. And he showed plainly
that he was disappointed. Although he did not look the least bit
cruel, it was clear that he had looked forward to shooting--and the
more the merrier.

"It's really a great pity," he said, "that we can't have a shot at
somebody."

XIII

The Major Hesitates

Major Monkey's army soon became known far and wide. Its fame reached
beyond Pleasant Valley, to the other side of Blue Mountain. And a good
many persons who had been in the habit of making excursions into the
valley now and then began to think that it was a good place to avoid.

Old Mr. Crow had a good deal to do with spreading the news. He took
several long trips, just to tell people that the army was ready--and
eager--to fight all strangers.

In fact, the Major said he wished Mr. Crow would mind his own affairs.
For how was the army ever going to fight, if all the enemies kept out
of its way?

All the generals began to tell one another that Major Monkey was a
very brave soldier. And certainly he _said_ nothing to change their
opinion of him. He was always telling how much he liked to fight, and
complaining that he was only wasting his valuable time in Pleasant
Valley.

In a way the Major was right. And probably there never would have been
the least trouble if Johnnie Green and his friends hadn't happened to
have a picnic in the woods on the same day and in the same spot that
the Major had chosen to call his generals together.

[Illustration: "You're a Sneak-Thief!" Jasper Jay said.]

Of course, the Major couldn't drill his soldiers with Johnnie Green
and a half-dozen other boys on hand to w