"Fifteen years!" roared the King. "I told you to put that fellow to work."
The guards hurried Lowboy and Highboy away, and Andy and Hortense were left alone.
"These two may be imprisoned in the pine tree," said the King, "until morning. Then I'll decide what further to do with them."
Six of the little soldiers took Andy and Hortense by the arm and led them to the foot of a big pine tree. Taking a key from his pocket, the officer in command unlocked a little door in the trunk of the tree, Hortense and Andy entered their prison, and he closed and locked the door after them. It was very dark, but as their eyes became accustomed to it, Andy and Hortense could see a little.
The hollow trunk made a round room, which was carpeted with pine needles for a bed. There was nothing else whatsoever. Above them the room reached high into the trunk, and at the very top they could see a little patch of light.
"It's probably a knot hole," said Andy, "and if we could climb so high, we might crawl through and get outside."
"We couldn't get down without being seen even then," reasoned Hortense.
"There's a chance," said Andy. "Anyway, they might not see us and just decide we had already escaped. It's worth trying."
"Very carefully they searched the trunk of the tree, seeking something that would help them climb.
"Here's something that looks like a crack in the trunk," said Andy. "If I could get a foothold in that, I believe I could climb to the top. Give me a hand here."