tepping
into those dark shadows, however, he armed himself with his tin
sword, a weapon he was in the habit of taking to bed with him in case
of burglars, and with this he poked bravely under the bed and in all
the dark corners, calling and coaxing Mittens to come forth. At last
both he and Ann felt sure the cat could not be in the room.

"He _must_ have got out somehow," said Rudolf. "Anyway, I sha'n't
bother any more looking for him." Still grasping his sword, he climbed
back into the big bed between his brother and sister. Peter was still
cross and grumbly. He kept insisting that Mittens might have
disappeared _inside_ the bed--which was a piece of nonsense neither of
the others would listen to.

After some discussion Rudolf and Ann agreed that the very nicest thing
to do would be to make a tent out of the bedclothes, and seeing Peter
was again inclined to nod, they shook him awake and sternly insisted
on his joining in the game. By tying the two upper corners of the
covers to the posts at the head of the great bed a splendid tent was
quickly made, bigger than any the children had ever played in before,
so big that Rudolf, who was to lead the procession into its white
depths, began to feel just the least little bit afraid,--of what he
hardly knew. How high the white walls rose! Not like a snuggly
bed-tent, but like--like a real white-walled cave. Being a brave boy,
he quickly put these unpleasant thoughts out of his mind, and grasping
his sword, crawled on his hands and knees into the dark opening.
Behind him came Ann, and behind Ann, Peter.

"Are you ready?" asked Rudolf. "Then in we go!"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER II

THE ANGRY WARMING-PAN

It was not surprising that the big bed should be different from any
other bed the children had ever played in, yet it was certainly taking
them a long, long time to crawl to the foot!

"It must have a foot," thought the brave captain of the band, as he
plunged farther and farther into the depths of the white cave. "All
beds have." Then he stopped suddenly as a loud squeal of mingled
surprise and terror came from just behind him.

"Oh, Rudolf," Ann cried, "I don't want to play this game any
longer--let's go back!" In the half-darkness Rudolf felt her turn
round on Peter, who was close behind her. "Go back, Peter," she
ordered.

"I can't," came a little voice out of the gloom.

"You must--oh, Peter, hurry!"

"I can't go back," said Peter