CHAPTER I. HOW THE BROWNIES CAME TO HILLSIDE 3 II. SPITE THE SPY 11 III. ADVENTURES OF THE BROWNIE SCOUTS 19 IV. THE BROWNIES VISIT GOVERNOR WILLE 36 V. MADAM BREEZE COMES TO THE RESCUE 42 VI. ATTACK ON THE OLD LODGE 50 VII. HOW THE FORT WAS SAVED 58 VIII. THE SANITARY CORPS 74 IX. NIGHT WATCHES 82 X. THE GOLDEN MOTTOES 95 XI. ON THE TRAIL 101 XII. THE LOST TRAIL 106 XIII. RAFT THE SMUGGLER 110 XIV. A PALACE AND A PRISON 118 XV. A PIXIE INSURRECTION 125 XVI. BROWNIES ON A LARK 139 XVII. HOW THE LARK ENDED 153 XVIII. WOOED BUT NOT WON 170 XIX. A BATTLE ON LAKE KATRINE 179 XX. A NAVAL MONSTER 192 XXI. THE CHARGE OF ENSIGN LAWE 203 XXII. "HAIR-BREADTH 'SCAPES BY FLOOD AND FIELD" 210 XXIII. A GHOST STORY 228 XXIV. THE WISDOM OF THE PIXIES 240 XXV. BLYTHE'S FLUTE 246 XXVI. THE HAUNTED GROUND 259 XXVII. THE DISENCHANTMENT 268 XXVIII. OUT OF THE PIT 276 XXIX. BREAKING CAMP 287 XXX. THE GRAND ALLIANCE WITH SCALY, TWIST AND SLYMOUSIE 298 XXXI. HOME AGAIN 321 XXXII. ENSIGN LAWE'S MISSION 340 XXXIII. HOW THE MISSION ENDED 359 APPENDIX 385 PREFACE. This preface shall be a personal explanation. The following book was written during the winter of 1876-77, more than eighteen years ago. Its origin was in this wise: Some of my readers will know that for more than twenty years I have studied the habits of our spider fauna. During the first years of these studies, the thought came to me to write a book for youth wherein my observations should be personified in the imaginary creatures of fairy lore, and thus float into the young mind some of my natural history findings in such pleasant form that they would be received quite unconsciously, and at least an impression thereof retained with sufficient accuracy to open the way to more serious lessons in the future.