"What's he saying?" asked Ann anxiously.

"I can't hear, but he's awful cross. Now the Little Black Man has
gone--now he's come back again, and--oh!"

"What is it? What is it?" cried Ann and Rudolf.

"He's got three animals on a chain--a bear, an'--an'--a lion--an' a
great big white wolf!"

"Oh, Peter, darling, you _know_ they're only dream animals!" Ann
hastily reminded him.

"Well, they're most as nice as real ones, they're awful fierce--"

"What's the Little Black Man doing with 'em?" interrupted Rudolf.

"He's letting them loose," said Peter, "and they're smelling round--"

"He's putting them by the tree to guard us--that's what he's doing,"
broke in Rudolf.

"To swallow us up if we ever do escape!" wailed Ann, now thoroughly
frightened. "Oh, Rudolf, whatever shall we do?"

Rudolf hastily lowered Peter to the floor and got down off the table.
"Ann," said he, "there must be another way out. In books there always
are two ways out of secret rooms, and this," he added cheerfully, "is
the bookiest thing that's happened to us yet. Come, let's look again
for it."