Peter rose, waved his sword, and was just opening his mouth to order the charge, when an unexpected thing happened.
Auntie Merrill opened a side door of her house, walked out on the veranda, descended two steps, and proceeded slowly up the side path to the street. She was dressed in black as usual, with a lavender bonnet, and she carried a little parasol. She opened the garden gate, crossed the sidewalk, stepped into a carriage that was standing by the curb, and drove quietly away.
The enemy had escaped.
We had been baffled without having a chance to strike a blow. But there were still the house and the damsels. Ought we not continue on our expedition?
While we were considering this question, Katie Clancy appeared at a basement door, with a broom in her hand.
"Now, thin, clear outer here, ye little divils, or I'll be takin' the broom to ye!"
And she started on a frontal attack.
Peter was over the fence again in two seconds. Horace and I, like well-disciplined troops, did not let him precede us by more than an inch.
In a few moments the detachment under Rob Currier returned to headquarters.