uld not listen to him any longer. By
Rudolf's orders, Ann lighted the other candle and both searched again
with the greatest care for some trace of the secret door. At last
Ann's sharp eyes spied not a door, but a small opening in the wall far
above their heads, like a little round window not much bigger than a
knothole. Rudolf climbed upon the table, but found he was hardly tall
enough to look through, so he was obliged to hoist Peter upon his
shoulders and let him have first look. When the little boy got his
eye to the window he gave such a shout of surprise that he nearly
knocked Rudolf and himself completely off the table.

"Hush," warned his brother, "you mustn't make a noise! Can you see
what the Bad Dreams are doing?"

"Yes, I can see 'em," whispered Peter.

"They're all sitting round the fire and Manunderthebed is making a
speech."

"What's he saying?" asked Ann anxiously.

"I can't hear, but he's awful cross. Now the Little Black Man has
gone--now he's come back again, and--oh!"

"What is it? What is it?" cried Ann and Rudolf.

"He's got three animals on a chain--a bear, an'--an'--a lion--an' a
great big white wolf!"

"Oh, Peter, darling, you _know_ they're only dream animals!" Ann
hastily reminded him.

"Well, they're most as nice as real ones, they're awful fierce--"

"What's the Little Black Man doing with 'em?" interrupted Rudolf.

"He's letting them loose," said Peter, "and they're smelling round--"

"He's putting them by the tree to guard us--that's what he's doing,"
broke in Rudolf.

"To swallow us up if we ever do escape!" wailed Ann, now thoroughly
frightened. "Oh, Rudolf, whatever shall we do?"

Rudolf hastily lowered Peter to the floor and got down off the table.
"Ann," said he, "there must be another way out. In books there always
are two ways out of secret rooms, and this," he added cheerfully, "is
the bookiest thing that's happened to us yet. Come, let's look again
for it."

He and Ann began the search once more, going over and over the walls
by the light of their candles, but without any success. Peter was
nosing about by himself in a little recess by the fireplace, and soon
the other two heard him give a gleeful chuckle.

"What is it? Have you found the spring of the secret door?" cried
Rudolf, running to him.

"Nope," said Peter. "It's nicer than that, it's a cake. I found it
right here on this little shelf that you went past and never noticed."

"Oh, Peter," Ann scolded