Oh, Bawly was a very fine soldier boy! And as he marched along he whistled a little tune that went like this:
“Soldier boy, soldier boy,
Brave and true,
I’m sure every one is
Frightened at you.
Salute the flag and
Fire the gun,
Now wave your sword and
Foes will run.
Your feathered cap gives
Lots of joy,
Oh! you’re a darling
Soldier boy!”
Well, Bawly felt finer than ever after that, and though he still didn’t meet any of his friends, with whom he might play, he was hoping he might see a savage fox or wolf, that he might do battle with the unpleasant creature. But perhaps you had better wait and see what happens.
All this while, as Bawly was marching along through the woods with his soldier cap on, Susie and Jennie were playing party at the old stump. They had just eaten the last of the sweet-sour cookies, and drank the last thimbleful of the orange-lemonade when, all at once, what should happen but that a great big alligator crawled out of the bushes and made a jump for them! Dear me! Would you ever expect such a thing?
“Oh, look at that!” cried Susie as she saw the alligator.
“Yes. Let’s run home!” shouted Jennie in fright.
But before either of them could stir a step the savage alligator, who had escaped from the circus again, grabbed them, one in each claw, and then, holding them so that they couldn’t get away, he sat up on the end of his big tail, and looked first at Susie and then at Jennie.
“Oh, please let us go!” cried Susie, with tears in her eyes.
“Oh, yes, do; and I’ll give you this half of a cookie I have left,” spoke Jennie kindly.
“I don’t want your cookie, I want you,” sang the alligator, as if he were reciting a song. “I’m going to eat you both!”