Now from Monument Park we could see the big poplar tree good and plain. The reason for that was partly on account of the park being so open and partly on account of the land beyond being low, because all the while we were going down toward the river. West of the park there aren't so many houses because in Bridgeboro a lot of people don't like to live too near the river. Some people are crazy. The houses down that way are not so big and they're not so close together. The only thing that stood in our way in the park was the big wooden fence, sort of, with all the soldiers' names on it. It wasn't so very long and we might have gone around it only I decided that our path was right about through the middle of it. So we crawled under it. Then right ahead of us was River Road, crossing our path. We stopped and took a squint and used our compass and decided that our path was between two houses. Tom Gilligan said, "I think it's right through that house on the left." I said, "No, sir, it's right across the lawn between the two houses. You just want us to get into some trouble so you can show the whole of the United States and Canada. I know you." He said, "You kids take another look at that tree. Your bee-line is just--exactly--precisely--across the side porch of that house with the brown shingles. Now you see." I said, "You're right. I've got to send my official staff to that house for permission to cross neutral territory." But when I looked around for my official staff, there he was standing stark still about ten yards behind us. I said, "Come ahead, official staff. What's the matter with you?" He said, "Do you know whose house that is? I didn't know because I never came toward it this way before. It's Warde Hollister's house. I can tell by the bay window." "That suits me," I said. "You'll--you'll have to use diplomacy," Pee-wee said. "I know that fellow." "Believe me," I said, "I've got the diploma for diplomacy. You fellows camp right here and leave that fellow to me. Here's where we not only cross neutral porches, but here's where we take a prisoner, too. In about ten minutes I'll have the enemy eating out of my hand." "What?" Pee-wee just blurted out. "Eating out of my hand," I said. "You know what eating means, don't you?" "S----sure I do," the kid said. CHAPTER IX DIPLOMACY