really impertinent Mittens had been, but his brother and sister
quickly stopped that. As for Growler and Prowler, they merely yawned,
as if they had heard this song more than once before, only faintly
clapping their paws together in order not to attract the tyrant's
attention to themselves. The next piece on the program, so Mittens
announced, would be a duet between himself and Miss Tabitha Tortoise,
entitled _Moonbeams on the Back Fence_. This selection proved so very
noisy, so full of quavers, trills, and loud and piercing yowls, that
the children decided it would be safe to attempt a little
conversation.

"Oh, Rudolf," whispered Ann, "how shall we ever get away from here?"

"Don't want to get away," grumbled Peter. "We're going to have
refreshments; Mittens said so."

"Nonsense; you'll have to go if we do," answered Rudolf. "But listen,
what are the mates saying?"

The two black cat pirates were conversing excitedly under cover of the
music, and presently the children heard what Prowler was whispering
to Growler: "Look here, Matey, where's the rest of the swag, the suit
case and _his_ sword, you know?"

"On board ship, stowed away in Cap'n's cabin," answered Growler. "You
don't mean to--"

"Yes, I do--I'm no 'fraid-cat--I mean to have them pink pajamas, or--"

"And where do _I_ come in, eh?" exclaimed Growler indignantly.