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 oars and the boat skimmed along the
water in the direction of the _Merry Mouser_. As they drew alongside,
Growler muttered in a not unfriendly whisper:

"Look here, youngsters, here's a word of advice that may save you your
skins. Don't show any cheek--not to me or Prowler, we're the
mates--and above all, not to the Chief!"

"What is your Chief's name, Mr. Growler, dear sir?" asked Ann
timidly.

Growler flashed his white teeth at her. Then he looked at Prowler and
both mates repeated together as if they were saying a lesson: "The
name of our illustrious Chief is Captain Mittens--Mittens, the