They had hardly gone more than half a dozen steps when the Mouse said suddenly and loudly: “That Sentry friend of ours is a smart chap; he knows how to handle the bayonet.”
“You are right,” answered the Rabbit, and walked on, the Mouse doing the same, though with lagging steps.
Presently a look of anger and wonder crept into his eyes, remarking which the Rabbit laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” asked the Mouse uneasily.
“At nothing particular,” answered his companion. “Cheerfulness, you know, is a habit of the mind.”
At this moment a loud groan burst from the Sentry, who during this time had been struggling to get free, and in a last frantic effort, had just succeeded in giving a most painful rick to his back.
“Our Sentry friend does not look happy,” said the Rabbit grimly.
“He is not well, I suppose,” answered the Mouse nervously. “What has happened, I wonder?”
“All is discovered!” exclaimed the Rabbit loudly.
Then as the Mouse made a desperate effort to run away, the Rabbit dealt him a blow on the back which injured the clockwork within his body and quite put a stop to his flight.