62 THE FAIRY-FOLK OF THE BLUE HILL.

their hands under the rude structure than a
voice was heard to say :—

“ Hold, ye knaves! What is it ye are about
to do?”

The two giants quickly straightened them-
selves to their full height and looked about
them. Standing on a rock near by was the
little gray man, who looked sternly at them.

“ The blue dragon-fly told us to. We did it
but to please her,” the giants hastened to say.

“ Ts the blue dragon-fly your mistress? Have
ye sworn obedience to her?” demanded the
little man in gray.

“Pardon, master,” they humbly answered,
“but the rover’s family persecute the honest
hunter, and we thought to remove them out of
their reach. We meant no harm.”

“ Your duty is to obey, mine to command,”
sternly replied the little gray man. “ Do thou,
Deepdrinker, follow me.”

The giant thus designated meekly followed
his master to the shores of Lily Pond, in whose
depths Wassa had sunken the hunter’s nets,
and the little gray man commanded : —

“Drain the pond at one draught.”

The huge giant threw himself prostrate on