VIII
THE PIRATE CHASES THE GOOD FERRY
WHEN Mary Frances came on deck again, The Good Ferry was plowing the water so fast that a deep furrow of foam followed her. The dolphin was swimming so fast that it made deep waves with the motion of its tail.
Although going so rapidly, they could see that the pirate’s black ship was keeping the distance the same as at first between them.
“I believe he is gaining,” at length said the cat, who was using his paws for a telescope.
Mary Frances looked a little pale, but smiled. “I think we will make more time in a minute,” she said. “Let’s drop something overboard, and he may stop to pick it up.”
So they filled a suitcase with paper, and dropped it over the side.
They were delighted when they saw the pirate’s ship stop to pick it up. They could hear the loud ravings of the pirate when he found nothing inside.
The rest of the trip was very exciting, for the pirate’s ship at one time was so close that they heard the pirate say to the cook, “Blast ye! Blast ye! Why don’t ye jump aboard? Ye can make it in two jumps!”
“Jump yourself!” replied the cook.
Faster and faster swam the dolphin; faster and faster sailed The Good Ferry. Try as he would, the pirate could not overtake them. They saw him plainly, half a knot behind, jumping up and down on his deck, shaking his angry fists. As they reached the island he turned and gave up the chase in defeat.
When they came to the wharf, there stood the old witch, drinking ink out of a bottle.
“Ha, ha!” she honked. “S-so ye think ye’ve got the lost st-story, do ye? Well, ye haven’t; s-so there!”
Then she began to wave her arms about her head, laughing wildly. As Mary Frances stepped off the boat the old witch tried to snatch the story bottle out of her hand.
“Oh, you can’t scare me,” said Mary Frances. “Step aside, please,” and as she pushed past the wild old witch, the great iron-chain curtain fell with a crash, and before her was Fairyland, or Storyland, which, as you know, are one and the same.