Page:St. Nicholas, vol. 40.1 (1912-1913).djvu/261

1912.] He leaned down toward Billy, opened his mouth very wide, and showed all his sharp teeth.

But now, as he opened his mouth, he felt the gold chain thrust into it like a bit. He shut his jaws with a snap, and dropped down on all four feet, and then tried to shake the chain from his mouth; but before he could do this, Billy had jumped on his back, seized the free length of chain for a bridle-rein, and dug the spurs into his sides.

“Perhaps,” said Billy, “you will carry me, after all.”

The Rat gnashed his teeth, but could not shake off his rider because of the magic spurs.

“Get up behind me, Peter,” said Billy; “we will see whether the Rat will carry double.”

Peter climbed up behind Billy on the Rat’s back, nor could the Rat prevent it, though he fought hard.

“Now,” said Billy, “take me to the Pirates.”

In a moment, they were off and away, over hills and bogs, fens and waterways, the Rat fighting all the way, but Billy able to manage him because of the spurs, riding fast and riding slow, jumping high and jumping low, for five hours and twenty minutes, till, at last, they came to the Red Cliffs and the Cave of the Pirates.

“This,” said the Rat, in a strange voice, because of the bit in his mouth, “is the Cave of the Pirates, and yonder are the Pirates.

Billy could not, at first, see anything at all, because of the darkness, but when his eyes had become accustomed to it, he saw ten men whom he knew to be Pirates. They were walking to and fro, loading heavy sacks upon each other’s shoulders. Billy knew these were sacks of gold. Presently the Pirates, of whom there were twenty, went out of the cave one by one, carrying the sacks of gold on their shoulders.

Now when they had gone, Billy heard what sounded like a man’s groan; and looking around, he saw a man lying on the ground, bound hand and foot. Billy rode up to him and spoke to him.

But the man, seeing the Rat, was frightened, and exclaimed: “What, Whiskers, are you come to trouble me, now that I am bound hand and foot? For shame!”

But Billy took hold of the man’s hair and tweaked it, and the man turned and looked at Billy and Peter.

“What are you,” asked the man, “gnomes or fairies?”

“Neither,” said Billy, “but only two sailors in search of adventure.”

At this the man laughed with a great noise that echoed through the cave. But Billy only said: