"She is gone too," said Mignonette.
"And Daffodil and Violet are missing," added Jassamine.
"Our strange wedding-guests--where are they?"
"They have flown!" cried Mignonette and Jassamine together.
"Then it is they who have taken them," said Florimel, as he ran toward the palace-steps. "Quick--a search! They cannot have gone far."
But the Brownies had reached the steps before him, and were already pointing off at the distant sea-line.
"A sail! A sail!" they cried.
"Too late!" said Florimel. "I see it all now. This is the work of Dragonfel!"
"Dragonfel!" cried one and all together.
"Yes," said Florimel. "Our unknown guests were Dragonfel and his wicked followers. He has abducted them, and flown with them to his country."
He bowed his head in great despair. King Stanislaus came, and placed his hand upon his shoulder.
"Be brave, Florimel!" he said. "The Brownies will go at once to the rescue of Queen Titania!"
"Yes!" shouted the Brownies. "To the rescue of Queen Titania!"
"But how?" asked the despondent Florimel. "We have no ship to take us."
Quick as a wink King Stanislaus improvised:
"We'll build a raft with magic sleight, And brave the sea ere morning's light!"
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CHAPTER XI
THE BROWNIES BUILD A RAFT
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When King Stanislaus announced to the Brownies that they were to go at once to the rescue of Queen Titania he was confronted by a very serious problem. There was no craft of any kind whatever with which to embark upon so hazardous a voyage.
"This comes of unpreparedness," growled the Sailor. "I've been trying to impress on His Majesty for years that we needed some battle-ships, cruisers, and submarines. Dash my top-lights if we've got even so much as an old mud-scow!"
Far off faintly outlined in the gathering dusk was a galleon with all sails spread which the favoring gales were bearing to Dragonfel's enchanted country.
King Stanislaus realized the utter futility of trying to overtake it with another sailing-vessel even if they had been the possessors of one.
Dragonfel and his confederates had too much the start of them.
The only recourse left was to follow as quickly as they could by whatever means were at hand, and, after they reached their destination, to try to wrest the unfortunate Titania and her companions from the cruel clutches of their abductors.
King Stanislaus had pledged his word to Florimel that before morning they would be in hot pursuit.
A raft to the monarch's shrewd, quick-thinking mind seemed to be the easiest kind of a craft to construct in the short space of time to do it in order to redeem the royal promise. The wind was right, so that it would waft them straight to Dragonfel's country, just as it was now taking the galleon which soon disappeared beyond the horizon.
In crisp, curt tones which showed that he, if anyone, was able to cope with this most distressing situation His Majesty gave orders for the immediate building of the raft.
[Illustration]
Then came a hurrying and scurrying of Brownies. Each of the little fellows was eager to do his share of the gigantic task, and no one shirked.
Hither and yon, and all about, they flew, a band of willing workers, and no one got in another's way, so no time was lost. Wisely enough the king assigned to each what he was best adapted to do, and there was no grumbling or cavilling at orders, but a strict obedience in all things.
And, wherever such a spirit is manifested, it is surprising what results can be achieved.
[Illustration]
The axes rang out sharp and clear in forests, and big trees toppled down to be stripped in a trice of their leafy branches. Sweating, puffing, grunting Brownies pulled and tugged and strained at the logs into which they were cut, and pushed and shoved, or rolled them when they could, toward the sea-shore.
Here, with their little jackets off, were many other Brownies hard at work, while the sound of big wooden mallets and iron sledges was heard unceasingly on all sides as in the busiest shipyard, while the logs were being nailed and spiked together.
Yet the raft was not composed entirely of logs, but of whatever else besides that came in handy.
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Nimble, fleet-footed foragers at their monarch's instigation roamed the country over for anything that was in the nature of wood. Some of these brought back a gate on which was the sign: NO ADMITTANCE.
Others came with shutters on which was tacked the placard: ROOMS TO LET.
And one group triumphantly lugged a dog-house which they thought would serve as a pilot-house, and to this on an iron chain was attached a dog, which perforce was dragged along after it upon its back. So great was their excitement that they forgot all about the dog.
[Illustration]
Other members of the band were busy too in different ways. The Sailor came running with a long pole on his shoulder, and strung one after another on the pole were a number of round life-preservers that looked like huge doughnuts.
Then off he sped again but only to return a few minutes later with a mariner's compass.
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The Dude stood by, offering advice, and all ready with cane in one and opera-hat box the other.
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Straining with the terrific weight the Twins together brought a ship's lead, and in stopping to put it down for needed rest one dropped it on the foot of his unfortunate brother, who held the injured foot up with his hand, and danced on the well one in great pain. But when his brother motioned for him to take up the lead with him again, he did so, and they labored on their way.
Down on the beach quite a number had found a big anchor half-buried in the sand. They had dug it out and were slowly bearing it with the utmost difficulty toward the raft.