But he was mistaken. At that moment, hopping through the woods was Bawly
No-Tail, wearing his paper soldier hat. He heard Susie call, and up he
marched, like the brave soldier frog boy that he was. Through the holes
in the bushes he could see the big alligator, and he saw Susie and
Jennie held fast in his claws.

“Oh, I can never fight that savage creature all alone,” thought Bawly.
“I must make him believe that a whole army of soldiers is coming at
him.”

So Bawly hid behind a tree, where the alligator couldn’t find him, and
the frog boy beat on a hollow log with a stick as if it were a drum.
Then he blew out his cheeks, whistling, and made a noise like a fife.
Then he aimed his wooden gun and cried: “Bang! Bang! Bung! Bung!” just
as if the wooden gun had powder in it. Next Bawly waved his cap with the
feather in it, and the alligator heard all this, and he saw the waving
soldier cap, and he, surely enough, thought a whole big army was coming
after him.

“I forgot something,” the alligator suddenly cried, as he let go of
Susie and Jennie. “I have to go to the dentist’s to get a tooth filled,”
and away that alligator scrambled through the woods as fast as he could
go, taking his tail with him. So that’s how Bawly saved Susie and
Jennie, and very thankful they were to him, and if they had had any
cookies left they would have given him two or sixteen, I guess.

Now if our gas stove doesn’t go out and dance in the middle of the back
yard and scare the cook, so she can’t bake a rice-pudding pie-cake, I’ll
tell you next about Grandpa Croaker and the umbrella.