These two handled their little guns in a most businesslike
manner. The taller of the two, who seemed by his uniform to be a
superior officer, now stepped forward and snapped out: "Give the
countersign!"
The children stood still and stared, Peter with his thumb in his
mouth.
"We haven't got any, sir, so we can't give it to you," said Ann at
last.
"Silly! He means _say_ it," whispered Rudolf in her ear.
"We can't say it either," Ann went on, "because we don't know it. But
we know lots of other things," she added, looking pleadingly at the
officer. "Rudolf, he can say the whole of ''Twas the night before
Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not
even a mouse'--and I can say 'The Gentle Cow all Red and White I Love
with all my Heart',--and Peter he says 'I have a Little Shadow',--he
knows it all, every word!"
The little officer turned sharply to his companion. "Make a note of
that, Sergeant," he snorted. "Head it, suspicious information: first
prisoner, probably dangerous burglar burgling on Christmas eve; second
prisoner, cattle thief; third prisoner--"
"But we aren't anything like that," broke in Rudolf hastily. "You're
entirely mistaken, we--"
"Say what you are, then," snapped the officer, "and where you have
come from and where you are going and what you are going to do when
you get there; say it, quick!" And raising his little gun, the officer
pointed it straight at Rudolf's nose.
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