staring stupidly at the pirates. "Why so they are
cats, Ann! Somehow I hadn't noticed that before. But, look, they are
sending a boat to us now."

In a small boat which had been towed behind the catboat, a couple of
pirates--big, rough-looking fellows--were sculling rapidly toward the
children. Cats indeed they were, but such cats as Ann and Rudolf had
never seen before, so big and black and bold were they, their teeth so
sharp and white, their eyes so round and yellow! One had a red sash
and one a green, and each carried knives and pistols enough to set up
a shop.

"Surrender!" they cried in a businesslike kind of way as they laid
hold of the bow of the rowboat, "or have your throats cut--just as you
like, you know."

Of course the children didn't like, and then, as Ann said, they had to
remember Peter. Much against his will, Rudolf was now forced
to surrender his beloved sword. The False Hare handed over all
his belongings--his jewelry, his suit case, and his little
umbrella--without the slightest hesitation, humming a tune as he did
so, but his voice cracked, and Ann and Rudolf noticed that the tip of
his nose had turned quite pale. The prisoners were quickly
transferred to the other boat, and the pirate with the green sash took
the oars. Just as all was ready for the start the cat in red cried:

"Hold on a minute, Growler! I'll just jump back into their old tub to
see if we've left any vallybles behind!"

"All right, Prowler."

It was then and only then that Rudolf and Ann remembered the two white
mice! The last time they had noticed them was at the moment of Peter's
ducking when in their excitement, the foolish creatures had hidden
their faces on each other's shoulders, rolled themselves into a kind
of ball, and stowed themselves under a seat. Prowler leaped into the
little boat which the pirates had fastened by a tow-rope to their own,
and during his search he kept his back turned to his companions. He
was gone but a moment, and when he returned his whiskers were very
shiny, and he was looking extremely jolly as he hummed a snatch of a
pirate song.

"Find anything?" asked Growler, eying him suspiciously. "If you did,
and don't fork it out before the Chief, _you'll_ catch it. 'Twill be
as much as your nine lives are worth!"

"Oh, 'twas nothing--nothing of any importance," answered Prowler
airily.

Rudolf and Ann looked at each other, but neither of them spoke. Both
the pirate cats now settled to the o