ly,
pointing in the direction of a speck on the white road, 'what's that?'

'It moves,' said Tilsa. 'It's a person.'

'We'll soon see what it is,' the Flamp grunted, lengthening his stride.
The earth shook as his feet beat upon it.

As they came nearer and nearer, the children saw that the object was a
woman. For a moment she stood upright, looking all ways at once as
though panic-stricken, and then she suddenly unfurled a green umbrella
and sank behind it.

'Why, it's Alison,' cried Tobene. 'Hurrah!'

'Stop, stop!' cried Tilsa to the Flamp. 'Please don't frighten dear old
Alison. Let us go down and run to her.'

The Flamp at once stopped and lay on his side, and the children slipped
to the ground and scampered as fast as they could towards their nurse.
The umbrella did not move. As they drew close they heard the old lady's
voice in beseeching tones: 'Please, Mr. Flamp, they're the sweetest
children in the world, and if you've swallowed them, you mountaineous
wretch you, you may as well swallow me too, for all there's left for me
to live for! Besides, I'm their nurse, and I might be useful to them
down inside. Ooh! Ooh! Please, Mr. Flamp, they're the sweetest children
in the world, and if you've swallowed them, you mountaineous wretch you,
you----'

'Alison, dear, it's all right,' Tilsa interrupted, skipping up and
pushing the umbrella aside. 'We're as safe and happy as ever we were.'

Alison stared first at one and then at the other of her truant charges.
Then--'Well?' she almost screamed, 'is it really you, my dearies?'

'Really!' exclaimed both children at once, and there was such hugging as
the plain of Ule had never before seen.

Soon Alison furled her umbrella and pointed to the Flamp, who was
smiling and chuckling and soliloquising in the distance.

('It's as good as smush to see this,' he was saying.)

'Is that him?' Alison inquired.

'Yes,' said Tilsa, 'and he's such a dear, you can't think.'

'Yes, come along and be introduced,' said Tobene, and without a word
Alison went, being quite assured that if the creature had not harmed her
two pets it would not harm her.

'Mr. Flamp,' said Tobene, 'I want to introduce you to this lady, our
nurse Alison. She's the best nurse in the world. You ought to get her to
tuck you up at night.'

'Tuck _me_ up?' cried the Flamp, and--'Tuck _that_ up?' cried Alison,
both together, and they all laughed, and at once Alison was at home and
comfortable.

They wen