The Little Old Lady was gone for quite a while and as the others sat talking in the cozy secret room, they again heard stamping downstairs. Gran’ma went to the picture window and peeped through. Old Jingles had returned. “I can not find their trail beyond this house!” he cried as he kicked over a chair. “If my Magic Whistle would only dry so that I could blow it and discover where they are, I could easily catch up with them and punish them!” “Dear me!” Gran’ma whispered to the others who had gathered around the picture window to listen. “The wicked Magician seems to think we have done something very mean to him, when we are only trying to escape his clutches!” “That is always the case,” said the Princess. “Those who do the most harm always think they are the most abused when things do not go just as they wish!” “I hope his Magic Whistle warps out of shape so that when it blows it will turn his magic right back on himself!” Johnny whispered. The more the Magician thought of our friends escaping him the more injured he felt, and he knocked the furniture about in his anger. At last he kicked the cabinet and loosened the little button which opened the door. “Hello!” he cried. “Here is a secret stairway!” “Quick!” cried Gran’ma. “He has discovered the stairway! He is coming up! Run down the back way quick!” They all ran down the back stairs as fast as they could, and of course they made a lot of noise running. The more quietly they tried to run the more they tripped and stumbled. The Magician, hearing them, knew in a moment who it was and sprang up the front stairway in pursuit. Then down the back stairs he ran too. As Gran’pa, Gran’ma, the Princess and Janey ran down the street they saw the Little Old Lady running towards them with her three brothers. Johnny, bracing himself at the back door, was trying to hold it so the Magician could not get out and he did succeed in holding him back until the others got a good start. When the Magician finally forced the door open, Johnny took to his heels with the long-legged Magician close behind him. Johnny dodged this way and that until he almost caught up with the others, who, when they met the Little Old Lady and her brothers had stood still. [Illustration] Just as the Magician was reaching out his hand to catch hold of Johnny’s collar, Johnny remembered a trick he had learned with other boys and dropped to his knees, right in front of the Magician. This tripped up Old Jingles and he went sprawling head over heels. As he rolled over the three brothers of the Little Old Lady pounced upon him and held him so he could not move. The Magician rolled his eyes and started to say a rhyme, but one of the brothers clapped his hand over Jingles’ mouth. Then while two of the brothers held the Magician down, the other ran to the house and came back with ropes. Soon the Magician was tied so that he could not move a muscle and a handkerchief was tied across his mouth.