give us some rest--do!" They had hardly left off
speaking before they were sound asleep again. As for Toddles and
Towser they refused to wake at all.

The children left them where they lay and climbed Over the side of the
_Merry Mouser_ into the little rowboat which Rudolf had brought
alongside. When all were safely aboard, he cut loose the tow-rope,
took the oars, and pulled away from the pirate ship. After a short and
pleasant row they reached a gently shelving beach where it was not
difficult to make a landing.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IX

CAPTAIN JINKS

Ann stood and stared at the line of low hills that fringed the edge of
the water. "What funny, funny country!" she exclaimed. "It's like a
checker-board going up-hill."

"No, it isn't either," said Rudolf, who loved to disagree, "because
the squares are not square, they're all different shapes and sizes and
they're not just red and black but ever and ever so many different
colors."

"It's something like the countries in the geography maps, anyway,"
said Ann.

"It's like patchwork," said Peter, and he came nearest the truth.

As it did not seem likely they would need the little boat again, the
children left it to float away if it liked, and crossed the strip of
gray sand to where they saw a little pink and white striped path
winding up the side of a crimson hill. This path they began to follow,
and it took them by so many twists and turns that they hardly noticed
the climb. When the last loop brought them to the top of the slope
they stood still and looked about them, surprised and delighted at the
beauty of the bare bright hills that sloped away in front of them.

The ground under their feet was now a bright beautiful yellow,
powdered all over with little white dots that proved to be daisies.
With shouts of delight, Ann and Peter stooped to gather these, but
Rudolf cried out: "Oh, look, look! Don't let's stop here. It's
prettier yet farther on!" So on they ran, all three of them, over the
yellow ground, over a stretch of green and blue checks, across a
lavender meadow, and found themselves at last in a wonderful pale
blue field scattered all over with bunches of little pink roses.

"This is the prettiest yet," exclaimed Ann, "though of course it is
very old-fashioned. I wonder what it reminds me of? Ruddy, do you
remember that picture of Aunt Jane when she was little in such a funny
dress with low neck and short sleeves--"