<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</SPAN></span></p>
<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2>
<div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i106.png" width-obs="198" height-obs="185" alt="W" title="W" /></div>
<p class="st">THE BROWNIES BUILD<br/>
A RAFT</p>
<p class="cap"><span class="upper">When</span> King Stanislaus announced
to the Brownies that they were
to go at once to the rescue of
Queen Titania he was confronted
by a very serious problem.
There was no craft of
any kind whatever with which to embark upon so hazardous a
voyage.</p>
<p>“This comes of unpreparedness,” growled the Sailor. “I’ve
been trying to impress on His Majesty for years that we needed
some battle-ships, cruisers, and submarines. Dash my top-lights
if we’ve got even so much as an old mud-scow!”</p>
<p>Far off faintly outlined in the gathering dusk was a galleon
with all sails spread which the favoring gales were bearing to
Dragonfel’s enchanted country.</p>
<p>King Stanislaus realized the utter futility of trying to overtake<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</SPAN></span>
it with another sailing-vessel even if they had been the
possessors of one. Dragonfel and his confederates had too
much the start of them.</p>
<p>The only recourse left was to follow as quickly as they could
by whatever means were at hand, and, after they reached their
destination, to try to wrest the unfortunate Titania and her
companions from the cruel clutches of their abductors.</p>
<p>King Stanislaus had pledged his word to Florimel that before
morning they would be in hot pursuit.</p>
<p>A raft to the monarch’s shrewd, quick-thinking mind seemed
to be the easiest kind of a craft to construct in the short space
of time to do it in order to redeem the royal promise. The
wind was right, so that it would waft them straight to Dragonfel’s
country, just as it was now taking the galleon which soon
disappeared beyond the horizon.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i107.png" width-obs="428" height-obs="218" alt="Tools" title="" /></div>
<p>In crisp, curt tones which showed that he, if anyone, was
able to cope with this most distressing situation His Majesty
gave orders for the immediate building of the raft.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Then came a hurrying and scurrying of Brownies. Each of
the little fellows was eager to do his share of the gigantic task,
and no one shirked.</p>
<p>Hither and yon, and all about, they flew, a band of willing
workers, and no one got in another’s way, so no time was lost.
Wisely enough the king assigned to each what he was best
adapted to do, and there was no grumbling or cavilling at orders,
but a strict obedience in all things. And, wherever such
a spirit is manifested, it is surprising what results can be
achieved.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i108.png" width-obs="421" height-obs="226" alt="Cellar door" title="" /></div>
<p>The axes rang out sharp and clear in forests, and big trees
toppled down to be stripped in a trice of their leafy branches.
Sweating, puffing, grunting Brownies pulled and tugged and
strained at the logs into which they were cut, and pushed and
shoved, or rolled them when they could, toward the sea-shore.</p>
<p>Here, with their little jackets off, were many other Brownies
hard at work, while the sound of big wooden mallets and iron
sledges was heard unceasingly on all sides as in the busiest shipyard,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</SPAN></span>
while the logs were being nailed and spiked together.</p>
<p>Yet the raft was not composed entirely of logs, but of whatever
else besides that came in handy.</p>
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<p>Nimble, fleet-footed foragers at
their monarch’s instigation roamed
the country over for anything that
was in the nature of wood.
Some of these brought back
a gate on which was the
sign: <span class="lower">NO ADMITTANCE</span>.</p>
<p>Others came with shutters on which was tacked the placard:
<span class="lower">ROOMS TO LET</span>. And one group triumphantly lugged a dog-house
which they thought would serve as a pilot-house, and to
this on an iron chain was attached a dog, which perforce was
dragged along after it upon its back. So great was their excitement
that they forgot all about the dog.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i110a.png" width-obs="447" height-obs="250" alt="Dog-house" title="" /></div>
<p>Other members of the band were busy too in different ways.
The Sailor came running with a long pole on his shoulder, and<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</SPAN></span>
strung one after another on the pole were a number of round
life-preservers that looked like huge
doughnuts.</p>
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<p>Then off he sped again but only to return a few minutes later
with a mariner’s compass.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</SPAN></span></p>
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<p>The Dude stood by, offering
advice, and all ready
with cane in one
and opera-hat box
the other.</p>
<p>Straining with the
terrific weight the
Twins together
brought<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</SPAN></span>
a ship’s lead, and in stopping to put it down for needed rest one
dropped it on the foot of his unfortunate brother, who held the
injured foot up with his hand, and danced on the well one in
great pain. But when his brother motioned for him to take
up the lead with him again, he did so, and they labored on their
way.</p>
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<p>Down on the beach quite a number had found a big anchor
half-buried in the sand. They
had dug it out and were slowly
bearing it with the utmost difficulty
toward the raft.</p>
<p>Time and again they stopped for a brief breathing spell,
standing meanwhile the anchor on its bow, until at last it suddenly
fell over and pinioned a luckless sprite beneath its weight.
He was extricated by his fellows, and, while they continued
puffing with their burden he limped with effort after them,
rubbing his bruised shank.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i113a.png" width-obs="425" height-obs="210" alt="The anchor" title="" /></div>
<p>The commissary department was active too, and Brownies
came with ample supplies of provisions for the voyage. They<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</SPAN></span>
brought sacks of hard-tack and ship-biscuit, and when they
laid them down and sat on them audacious rats ran helter-skelter
<ANTIMG src="images/i113b.png" class="figleft" width-obs="350" height-obs="286" alt="Ship-bread" title="" />
out
and
scampered
wildly off
in all
directions.
Nothing
was left
undone,
and when
in the
judgment
of the
Sailor it
was about
four bells<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</SPAN></span>
the raft had taken marvelous shape and was ready to launch.</p>
<p>With the
combined
strength of
all the band
it was rolled
down the
sloping
sand upon
round logs
until it slid
gracefully
into
the water.
Lanterns lit
it at the corners,
and in the centre on a long stick floated the Brownie flag.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i114.png" width-obs="329" height-obs="258" alt="Conversation" title="" /></div>
<p>Then all the Brownies clambered on board, and King Stanislaus
gave the order to cast off the hawsers. The fairies, weeping
yet hopeful of the success of the expedition, watched them
from the shore.</p>
<p>But before some Brownies under the instructions of the
Sailor could obey the mandate of the king Mignonette and Jassamine
in wild disorder, and with their hair flying, came running
toward them.</p>
<p>“The dove!” cried Mignonette. “You’ve forgotten Euphrosyne’s
dove!”</p>
<p>Jassamine at the same time held up a cage in which the dove
was perched on a stick.</p>
<p>“Euphrosyne told Queen Titania she was to send it to her if<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</SPAN></span>
ever she was in danger from Dragonfel,” Mignonette made
haste to explain.</p>
<p>“I don’t know whether we’ve got room to take it,” said King
Stanislaus grudgingly. “Besides I think we’re able to manage
this little business affair ourselves.”</p>
<p>“Remember, sire,” reminded the Policeman, “that Noah once
sent out a dove.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I know,” said His Majesty, “but he’s hundreds of
years behind the times.”</p>
<p>Still he did not interpose any objections when the Dude
reached forth and grasped the cage, which he set upon the
raft.</p>
<p>Then off they floated without further interruption, the Sailor
and others poling them out through shallow waters till they
could no longer touch bottom. There were no cheers to mark
the departure, for the hearts of all were set with a stern purpose.</p>
<p>As they got farther and farther away the fairies still gazed
at them, until someone said:</p>
<p>“Don’t watch them out of sight. It’s unlucky.”</p>
<p>The tide was ebb, and the wind continued steady and true,
so that they made good progress. Some took their little jackets
off to catch each puff of air. The shore-line finally disappeared
from sight, and then the lights twinkling in the windows of
Queen Titania’s palace.</p>
<p>At last they were so many miles from land that the Twins
took frequent soundings with their lead, and the Sailor, who
consulted his compass very often, growled to the watch:</p>
<p>“Keep a sharp look-out, you lubber!”</p>
<p>And their plans all would have gone well, and they would<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</SPAN></span>
have reached Dragonfel’s enchanted country as they intended,
if something entirely unexpected had not happened.</p>
<p>About six bells, as the Sailor reckoned, a sudden storm came
up.</p>
<p>It was a terrible storm, the worst in the memory of the oldest
inhabitant. The Sailor who was most weather-wise of all could
not understand it. But Dragonfel could have done so had he
wished, for the storm had been manufactured at his request
by Vulcan, and it was just as good a sample of what could be
done in a hurry as the Brownies’ raft.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i115.png" width-obs="444" height-obs="266" alt="Shipwrecked" title="" /></div>
<p>Suddenly the sky grew black, and the stars were blotted out.
Then almost instantly came a mighty rush and roar of wind,
and the seas ran mountain-high.</p>
<p>“Avast, you lubbers!” roared the Sailor. “Take a reef in
your shirts and jackets!”</p>
<p>Lightning lit up almost incessantly gloomy, frowning caverns<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</SPAN></span>
in the clouds, and the peals of thunder were deafening. The
rain poured down on them in sheets, but still the wind howled
and raged with unabating fury, and they tossed up and down
like a cockleshell.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i116.png" width-obs="398" height-obs="294" alt="Dog-house" title="" /></div>
<p>In all the turmoil of alarm the frightened Chinaman lost his
balance, and fell overboard, and a huge sea-serpent, with eyes of
fire gleaming like electric lights above distended greedy, waiting
jaws, rose up from out of the water, with its abnormally
long body looking like a series of hoops.</p>
<p>The Uncle Sam Brownie threw out a life-preserver, but the
Sailor with rare presence of mind grasped a boat-hook, and,
skillfully hooking the end of the despairing Chinaman’s blouse,
yanked him back on the raft before the monster could swallow
him.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>No craft however staunch could withstand such a gale, which
grew and grew in violence.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i117.png" width-obs="255" height-obs="388" alt="The frightened Dude" title="" /></div>
<p>The raft shivered and
shook under its terrific
strain, and there came
pistol-like cracks at intervals
as the wood
splintered or broke
apart, while nails and
spikes flew up from
the groaning, loosening
timbers.</p>
<p>Slowly but surely the
raft upon which the
Brownies had exercised
such ingenuity and skill
was disintegrating, and
the great danger of the
band increased with
each passing moment.
And in the flashes of
lightning that illumined
the rumbling skies a huge bird with flapping wings suddenly
swooped down, and, seizing the frightened Dude by his
breeches-seat, bore him, dangling face downward, with his
cherished cane still clutched in his hand, up, up, still up, till
he was out of sight.</p>
<p>The others, all aghast, looked up at him until he disappeared,
and wondered if they would ever see him again. And, while
they wondered, with their own misfortune forgotten in this<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</SPAN></span>
greater calamity that had come to their beloved companion,
there was heard a crack louder than any that had gone before,
and the raft went all at once to pieces.</p>
<p>Struggling in the water, or clinging to broken spars, logs,
and pieces of timber, the Brownies suddenly found themselves
gasping and choking as relentless waves rolled over them, at
times submerging them.</p>
<p>This was the end, then, of their unfortunate adventure.
There was nothing to cause even the slightest ray of hope.
It looked as though all the Brownies would be lost.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i118.png" width-obs="280" height-obs="212" alt="Bird with telescope" title="" /></div>
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