CHAPTER 13

The chase

A thoroughbred of the streets, Jemmy acted on instinct. He didn't wait to be nabbed.

In a burst of straw, he shot up and made a leap for the door. Cutwater, startled, lost the merest breath of time. But it was enough.

Jemmy flung open the door and ran.

His long arms outstretched, Cutwater lurched after him.

And Prince Brat followed.

Jemmy vanished into the wild green tangle. He jumped a great fallen log, ducked under low-hanging branches, and, like a rabbit, made sudden changes in direction.

He could hear Cutwater close behind, breathing like a bellows. "I'm on your tracks! Stop before I get aggravexed with you, Prince!"

Jemmy covered the ground at full tilt. Leaves crackled under his feet. Gaw! he thought. He might as well be leading a confounded parade, for all the noise he was making.

He reached a small clearing—and half jumped out of his skin. Sniffing near the skeleton-white roots of an upturned hollow tree stood a wild beast.

A bear!

Jemmy would have preferred Cutwater's own company. But before he could find his legs, the hairy beast took flight.

It went crashing away to Jemmy's left.

Jemmy got his breath back. Then, almost without thinking, he dove into the hollow of the dead tree and snugged himself in.

Moments later he caught the merest glimpse of Cutwater cupping an ear. Turning on his heels, the rattleboned man gave a shout. "Practically got you by the hind leg, pesky Prince!"

Jemmy let out a small sigh of relief. Cutwater would have a mighty surprise if he caught that bear by the hind leg.

As the sounds of the chase grew fainter, Jemmy crawled out of the hollow root. The sun was now high enough to send down smoky rays of light through the treetops. Which way was the river?

And then he saw Prince Brat, his face lobster-red from running, at the edge of the clearing.

"Unfaithful servant!" he protested, glaring hard at Jemmy.

Until this moment, Jemmy hadn't had a moment's pause for anger. But now fury shot into his eyes. Curse this blabber-tongued, hateful prince! "You betrayed me!"

"You'd have deserted me without a care!"

Jemmy bristled. "Ain't it me they think is the prince? If you hadn't pointed me out under the straw, Cutwater would have flown off to pick up my tracks. And we could have crept away dead easy. I wouldn't be running my lungs out!"

The prince pondered this for a moment. He nodded. "Then I forgive you."

Jemmy was speechless for a moment. "Forgive me! Don't trouble yourself, my good and loyal Prince. And get yourself another whipping boy."

"But I have not dismissed you from my service," said the prince calmly.

"I dismiss myself," Jemmy fired back. "I'll get where I'm going, and you can find your own way back to the castle."

"I'll go with you."

"Not likely!"

Jemmy turned to the right and beat his way back into the foliage.