Then he knocked some of the soldiers over, pretending they had
fallen in battle, and he moved some forward across the table and
some he moved back.

"One side is winning and the other side is losing," said the boy.
"The losing side is running away. Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"This is too much for me!" said Mirabell. "There is too much bang-
banging. I'm going to play with my Lamb on Wheels."

The Bold Tin Soldier Captain heard Mirabell say that, even above the
noise made by Arnold.

[Illustration: "I Just Arrived," Answered the Bold Tin Soldier.]

"Ha! Now I know where I heard those names before!" thought the
Captain. "The Sawdust Doll told us about these children when she
came back to the store to visit that day. They live next door to
Dick and Dorothy. Oh, I am in good company!"

Back and forth across the table the boy moved his two companies of
Tin Soldiers. Sometimes he would make believe one side was winning
the battle, and again he would let the other side seem to win.

The Captain and his men had little to say about it, for they could
not move by themselves nor talk when Arnold was looking at them. And
when he and his men were being moved back by the boy, and losing the
pretend battle to the Sergeant and his men, the Captain sighed and
said: