“The next moment another blow from one of those mighty wing elbows all but stunned him, and his grip relaxed.  He made a groping rush for the burrow, but in that same instant the gander’s great bill seized him by the back of the neck and lifted him high into the air.

“This was very near being the end of Young Grumpy, for the one-eyed gander would have bitten and banged and hammered at him till he was as dead as a last year’s June bug.  But happily the Boy and the white dog came running up in the nick of time.  The gander dropped his victim and stalked off haughtily.  And poor Young Grumpy, after turning twice around in a confused way, crawled back into his hole.

“The white dog opened his mouth from ear to ear, and looked up at the Boy with an unmistakable grin.  The Boy, half laughing, half sympathetic, went and peered into the hole.

“‘I guess you’d better keep out of Old Wall-Eye’s way after this!’ said he.

“And Young Grumpy did.  Whenever the one-eyed gander was in the yard, then Young Grumpy stayed in the garden.”

CHAPTER IV

LITTLE SWORD AND THE INKMAKER

Out across the shining expanse of Silverwater, now lying unruffled by any breath of wind, went flickering a little blue butterfly, as blue as if a gentian blossom had taken to itself wings or a speck of sky had fluttered down to meet its bright reflection in the lake.  It was a foolish expedition for the little explorer, so far from shore, and over that lonely, treacherous element which has such scant mercy for butterflies.  The turquoise wings dipped and rose, sometimes coming so close to the water that the Babe caught his breath, thinking the frail voyager’s eyes were unable to distinguish between the crystal purity of the water and that of the air.  At last a wing tip, or more likely the tip of the velvet tail, brushed the surface.  It was only the lightest touch; and instantly, suddenly, as if startled by the chill contact, the azure flutterer rose again.  In the same instant the water swirled heavily beneath her, a little sucking whirlpool appeared shattering the mirror, and circular ripples began to widen quickly and smoothly from the break.

“That was a big fellow!” exclaimed Uncle Andy.  But the Babe said nothing, being too intent upon the aerial voyager’s career.

For two or three moments the flake of sky fluttered higher.  Then, as the ripples smoothed themselves out, she seemed to forget, and began to descend again as if lured downward by her own dainty reflection.  Yet she had not quite forgotten, for now she only came within six or seven inches of the traitorous surface.  Now her heavenly wings supported her for a moment almost motionless.

In that moment a splendid shape, gleaming like a bolt of silver, shot a clear foot into the air and fell back with a massive splash.  The turquoise butterfly was gone.