"I don't know who is pegging beans at us," said Arnold, looking
around and out toward the street. "It isn't my Soldiers, for their
tin guns can only make believe shoot."

Just then some shouts were heard and more beans came rattling across
the porch, some, once more, hitting the Lamb, Arnold, and the Tin
Soldiers.

"Oh, look, Arnold!" suddenly called his sister. "I see who is doing
it!"

"Who?" he asked.

"A lot of rough boys! Look! They, have bean-blowers!"

As she spoke more shouts sounded and more beans came flying swiftly
over the porch.

"Shoot the Tin Soldiers! Shoot the Tin Soldiers!" cried the rough
boys. There were three of them, and, as Mirabell had said, they had
long tin bean, or putty, blowers. They were blowing the beans at the
boy and his sister on the porch.

Rattle and bang went the hard dried beans, but the Bold Tin Soldier
Captain and his men stood bravely up under the shower of bean
bullets. The Red Cross Nurse Doll was brave, too, and did not run
away, while the Lamb on Wheels stood on her wooden platform and
never so much as blinked an eye as bean after bean struck her.

"Shoot the Tin Soldiers! Shoot the woolly Lamb!" cried the bad boys,