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"Perhaps Dab-Dab can raise us a light somewhere." Then the Doctor made some funny clicking noises with his tongue and I heard some one trundle up the stairs again and start moving about in the rooms above. Then we waited quite a while without anything happening. "Will the light be long in coming?" I asked. "Some animal is sitting on my foot and my toes are going to sleep."
DAB-DAB was terribly upset when she found we were going away again without luncheon; and she made us take some cold pork-pies in our pockets to eat on the way. This was the week of the Assizes a business which happened every three months, when many pick-pockets and other bad characters were tried by a very grand judge who came all the way from London.
And the pushmi-pullyu took the little boy on his back and gave him a ride round the dining-room table; while all the other animals followed behind, beating the dish-covers with spoons, pretending it was a parade. "YOUR uncle must now be FOUND," said the Doctor "that is the next thing now that we know he wasn't thrown into the sea." Then Dab-Dab came up to him again and whispered,
Woof oo WOOF!" Then he barked, loud, and woke himself up with a surprised look on his face. "See!" cried Dab-Dab. "That boat is nearer now. You can count its three big sails all red. Whoever it is, they are coming after us.... I wonder who they are." "They are bad sailors," said Jip; "and their ship is very swift. They are surely the pirates of Barbary."
Because, to tell you the truth, I think you are exactly the man we need." TWO days after that we had all in readiness for our departure. On this voyage Jip begged so hard to be taken that the Doctor finally gave in and said he could come. Polynesia and Chee-Chee were the only other animals to go with us. Dab-Dab was left in charge of the house and the animal family we were to leave behind.
But the pig and the dog and the owl, Too-Too, could do nothing in such weather, but sat at the end of the ship in the shade of a big barrel, with their tongues hanging out, drinking lemonade. Dab-Dab, the duck, used to keep herself cool by jumping into the sea and swimming behind the ship.
We'll have pork-chops and roast duck for supper to-night. And before I let you go home, you must make your friends send me a trunk-full of gold." Poor Gub-Gub began to weep; and Dab-Dab made ready to fly to save her life. But the owl, Too-Too, whispered to the Doctor, "Keep him talking, Doctor. Be pleasant to him.
"No, only a minute," said the Doctor. "She'll be back in a minute." And just then I saw the first glimmerings of a light around the landing above. At once all the animals kept quiet. "I thought you lived alone," I said to the Doctor. "So I do," said he. "It is Dab-Dab who is bringing the light." I looked up the stairs trying to make out who was coming.
And if the friends sent no money, the pirates often threw the people into the sea. Now one sunshiny day the Doctor and Dab-Dab were walking up and down on the ship for exercise; a nice fresh wind was blowing the boat along, and everybody was happy. Presently Dab-Dab saw the sail of another ship a long way behind them on the edge of the sea. It was a red sail.
So all that morning Jip stood in the front part of the ship, sniffing the wind and pointing the way for the Doctor to steer; while all the animals and the little boy stood round with their eyes wide open, watching the dog in wonder. About lunch-time Jip asked Dab-Dab to tell the Doctor that he was getting worried and wanted to speak to him.
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