But the Brownies had reached the steps before him, and were already pointing off at the distant sea-line. "A sail! A sail!" they cried. "Too late!" said Florimel. "I see it all now. This is the work of Dragonfel!" "Dragonfel!" cried one and all together. "Yes," said Florimel. "Our unknown guests were Dragonfel and his wicked followers. He has abducted them, and flown with them to his country." He bowed his head in great despair. King Stanislaus came, and placed his hand upon his shoulder. "Be brave, Florimel!" he said. "The Brownies will go at once to the rescue of Queen Titania!" "Yes!" shouted the Brownies. "To the rescue of Queen Titania!" "But how?" asked the despondent Florimel. "We have no ship to take us." Quick as a wink King Stanislaus improvised: "We'll build a raft with magic sleight, And brave the sea ere morning's light!" [Illustration] CHAPTER XI THE BROWNIES BUILD A RAFT [Illustration] When King Stanislaus announced to the Brownies that they were to go at once to the rescue of Queen Titania he was confronted by a very serious problem. There was no craft of any kind whatever with which to embark upon so hazardous a voyage. "This comes of unpreparedness," growled the Sailor. "I've been trying to impress on His Majesty for years that we needed some battle-ships, cruisers, and submarines. Dash my top-lights if we've got even so much as an old mud-scow!" Far off faintly outlined in the gathering dusk was a galleon with all sails spread which the favoring gales were bearing to Dragonfel's enchanted country. King Stanislaus realized the utter futility of trying to overtake it with another sailing-vessel even if they had been the possessors of one. Dragonfel and his confederates had too much the start of them. The only recourse left was to follow as quickly as they could by whatever means were at hand, and, after they reached their destination, to try to wrest the unfortunate Titania and her companions from the cruel clutches of their abductors. King Stanislaus had pledged his word to Florimel that before morning they would be in hot pursuit. A raft to the monarch's shrewd, quick-thinking mind seemed to be the easiest kind of a craft to construct in the short space of time to do it in order to redeem the royal promise. The wind was right, so that it would waft them straight to Dragonfel's country, just as it was now taking the galleon which soon disappeared beyond the horizon. In crisp, curt tones which showed that he, if anyone, was able to cope with this most distressing situation His Majesty gave orders for the immediate building of the raft. [Illustration] Then came a hurrying and scurrying of Brownies. Each of the little fellows was eager to do his share of the gigantic task, and no one shirked.