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"STOP IT!" Hildegarde ordered hi, into the bushes

The adults ignored hinatious said in a worried voice

"It doesn't say anything else Just the number, and the price"

"What nuarde peered at the paper again "Fifty-two," she told theave an oof sound, as if he'd been punched in the belly "Fifty-two glue boards!" he said glooarde had risen to stand on her back legs Her tail steadied her She was silent for a natious and Roderick (but not to Harvey, who had sca fake skateboard moves), "I have an idea I think I know exactly what to do"

Hildegarde gave instructions to Ignatious and Roderick in a firm, decisive voice "Spread the word," she said "Immediately! I want fifty-two volunteers I need the bravest and strongest aht here As soon as possible There is no time to lose!"

"Must they all bepair of fe pushups"

"They'd be perfect Male, fe! And brave! That's ant

"Get going! We don't have natious and Roderick off on their , braveTrina, Jean, and several other fearde She ing

"Could we help, Hildegarde?" Roderick asked "Ignatious and II knoe're not young Maybe not strong! But we're brave! Aren't we, Ignatious?" He looked over at the elderly, scholarly natious cleared his throat self-consciously "Well, I try to be, of course I do enjoy reading about great bravery Goodness, once in the university library, I nibbled at the edges of a list of Congressional Medal of Honor winners, and I re, What if I found myself" His voice trailed off Then he said in a soft voice, "No I'natious That's iarde said, to comfort him, for he looked quite embarrassed and sad "And you, Roderick? I need you here with natious We must count the numbers who return"

"Who return?" Roderick asked "You ht" She turned to the crowd of waiting mice "Volunteers?"

Fifty-two enthusiastic squeaks responded to her "It's time," she told them "You all have your instructions Do your best! Do your duty! Our prayers are with you! Now go!"

Moving in silence noith no squeaks, no farewells, the fifty-two brave mice turned and marched in line toward Saint Barthole!

An hour passed Then two The cemetery was silent except for small squeaks of conversation here and there Most of the churchfor theto hear final instructions before their return to the church where they had lived all their lives They chatted a their two-day vacation in the Outdoors There had been some close calls Onehawk; another had encountered a snake and sca on a bouquet of asters when a wo can and doused him while he cowered, hidden only by a leaf One by one they described their adventures and praised each other's outdoor courage

But in the arde, Roderick, and Ignatious waited silently, with increasing apprehension They had no way to know the time, but they watched clouds cross the thened around thenored it; an oas nothing to theer concerns

"What if none of them returns safely?" Roderick whispered at last

"Soht perish That was the risk But certainly soarde tried to reassure hihtened She had been Mouse Mistress for a long time But never before had she had to send so situation

"Want o to the cearde sighed "No, the others will see you and start asking questions We'll just stay here Wait! What's that sound?" She stood on tiptoe and parted the ferns Through the dark of the cloudy night, she squinted and could see shrubberyear Her nose and tail both twitched "Marvin?" she whispered loudly Then she turned to the others "I think it's Marvin!"

Indeed it was he Marvin had been one of the fifty-two volunteers Now he stulade He looked co triumphantly "We did it!" he whispered

"All fifty-two? Are you all safe?" Hildegarde's heart was beating rapidly

"Not sure," he told her "I finished first and there wasn't tiht behindsound of the s warriors They were spent Depleted Breathing hard So But one after another they appeared and reported in In a few minutes the area at the base of the statue was croith sprawled, panting church natious and Roderick

"One, two, three" She could hear the the heaps of heavy-breathing mice "Twenty-nine, thirty"

Finally they canatious reported "Maybe I counted wrong," he added, uncertainly "I' sad "Fifty-one," he said "I counted twice I'arde felt she h she didn't want to hear the answer