" warm wind ! " cried the Prince of Ragbad excitedly

"The dragon ! The dragon ! " screamed the weathercock, appearing suddenly over the top of bleak, icy hill Before Bill's warning had died away, the dragon itself hove into view and, with great roar, came tobogganing down frightened little company like scenic railway train Urtha jumped behind Tatters, Tatters drew his umbrella and Grampa looked down the sights gun flaming throat of Enorma herself For moment nothing happened, dragon, now that she was down the hill, seemed to wait to first move

"Don't shoot," begged the Prince of Ragbad imploringly "Don't shoot yet Grampa, it's the first time I've been warm to-day ! "

Grampa's whiskers had already thawed out heat fire-breathing monster was so comforting almost forgot their fear The dragon, on her part, seemed more curious than angry

"Well, I'll be snowballed ! " she snorted, wagging her head from side to side "How did you get here ? "

"It's long strange story," sighed Grampa, lowering his gun and holding his hands toward the waves of heat that blew dragon's nostrils

"We fell, swam, sailed and exploded," crowed Bill, flapping his wings over the dragon's head

"Well, melt, would you mind telling me why you came at all ? " asked Enorma, with terrific yawn

"Melt ! " exclaimed Grampa, his eyes snapping, "why, I'm just beginning to thaw out "

"Well, you'll soon be entirely way," said the dragon comfortably "The folk hereabout melt at my mere approach " Enorma yawned again and began to pant little, from her slide down the hill

"Humph ! " grunted the old soldier first yawn he had made startling discovery- second sure he had made it Taking out his snuff box, the old soldier tip-toed close monster and flung the entire contents in her face

Then, "Run for your lives ! " shouted Grampa, starting off at his best pace And well quickly obeyed this command, sneezes dragon shook the entire island and sent the snow in blinding flurries all around them

"What-what's happening ? " asked the Prince of Ragbad, peering out wildly from behind an icy cliff

"Your fortune's made, that's all ! " announced Grampa proudly "More ways than one of winning battle "

Stepping out, and motioning others , the old soldier approached the still quivering monster Tears streamed from her eyes and she was still sneezing broken-heart-edly

"Enorma is as false as her teeth ! " puffed Grampa, and with astonishment Tatters and Urtha saw dragon was perfectly toothless-having lost her one and only set first pinch of Grampa's snuff

" finish her off, or shall I ? " asked the old soldier, rattling his sword in businesslike fashion Before Tatters could answer Enorma gave frightened moan and began scuttling across the snow fields like an express train bound for Atlantic City

"Halt ! Stop ! or I'll fall head ! Come back here at once and be slaughtered ! " screamed Bill, flying after her while the others followed as fast as on foot But end Enorma finished herself for, turning how close Grampa and Tatters were coming, she plunged headfirst into an icy stream and put herself outcompletely and entirely out-for dragon can no more stand dash of water than furnace, or witch !

When Grampa and Tatters reached the edge stream, Enorma was floating like great green log surface, only tiny puff of smoke to show that she had ever been roaring, fire-eating, sure-enough monster

Gentle little Urtha wept bit but Tatters soon comforted her Then he old soldier moored Enorma fast to tree, proof valor met the King Island They were all warm encounter dragon, but it soon wore off and it wasn't long began to shiver again

"Wish we'd brought one house plants along," sighed Tatters

"Wish get my teeth in one of Mrs Sew-and-Sew's ragamuffins," murmured Grampa, trudging gloomily over the snow

"Bill's found something," called Urtha, who was dancing few steps ahead Just then down came the weather cock to announce that he had discovered the dragon's cave tunneled out of huge, snowy hill and at one end burned roaring fire Dragons, , drink flame as other creatures drink water and Enorma always kept huge pile of trees burning in her cavern

"Bill, you're real explorer ! " cried Grampa and, taking off one medals, he hung it 'round the weather cock's neck Stacked against the walls cave were great piles of frozen meat, for Enorma- of her false teeth- mighty huntress In trice Grampa had bear steak sputtering fire on pointed sticks and nothing cozier than their breakfast

" you our troubles were over," beamed the old soldier, handing Tatters portion steak on tin army plate "All now is to claim the reward, find the King's head and journey back to Ragbad " Grampa grinned with satisfaction

"But how can we ? " asked Tatters dubiously "There's the ocean sandy desert between "

"Don't worry," advised Grampa, settling comfortably fire "This old Chin Chilly so delighted the dragon way that he'll probably home in golden ship pockets full of diamonds How like that, Loveliness ? " Urtha was playing hide and seek with Bill but at Grampa's words she came over fire

"I'll like it if Tatters does," said the little flower fairy, smiling shyly Prince of Ragbad

"Well, I'll like it," admitted Tatters, "especially along, for dance deck and play scrum Why, I've never had time to teach you yet Grampa, won't you lend us your leg ? "

"Not now," objected the old soldier "Duty before pleasure, my children Remember that found this Chin Chilly, nor claimed the reward 're warmed up and fed we'd better start hunting again "

"Here I go name of Bill," crowed the weather cock, flinging cavern Grampa stowed dried bear meat knapsack and then, forming his little company in line, gave the order to march away

"First we'll have another look dragon," said the old soldier, "and then we'll try the palace of Isa Poso "

So down the snowy hill they marched and slid had just come banks stream when harsh voices other side of clump of trees made them stop short

"Flowers ! " screamed the first voice "Pull them up, tread them down ! Who dares to plant flowers on Isa Poso ? "

"Footprints, too, Chilly dear," grunted deeper voice " an animal with un-matched feet "

Dropping knees, the old soldier peered around the frozen tree trunks and saw two islanders bending over the tracks they had made chased Enorma They were towering men of snow, with faces of roughly cut ice and so cruel and forbidding in appearance that just makes me shudder Fortunately Grampa was not so easily frightened as

"Animals indeed ! " spluttered the old soldier "Company ! Forward march ! " And Grampa rushed trees so fast that Tatters and Urtha had to run up So suddenly did they burst out little group of islanders that several snow men fell over backwards

"Where King ? " shouted Grampa, giving his drum such whack that three more company collapsed But they quickly recovered themselves and, instead of answering, the tallest snow man flung out his arms toward Urtha

"Stand still ! " he commanded angrily "You're ruining my island Look foolish creature cluttering up the place with flowers ! "

Urtha shrank back toward Tatters young Prince, speechless with indignation, grasped his umbrella and prepared to attack But Grampa restrained him and with another resounding whack drum strode speaker

" your island ? " asked the old soldier, stamping his game foot

"Yes, and you doing ? " demanded Chin Chilly, stamping his snow foot "Just to look at you makes me want to melt ! "

"Go ahead and melt," advised Grampa coldly- very cold-"but do and any more of your chin music, hand over the reward I lay claim to half the Kingdom Princess name of Prince Tatters of Ragbad ! "

"Has he slain the dragon ? " asked the King, with gasp of surprise His manner changed at once and, looking as pleasant as fellow with icicle whiskers well can, he turned to Tatters The Prince of Ragbad nodded shortly, for he forgotten the King's rudeness to Urtha, and Grampa waved his sword toward the body of Enorma, still floating half in and half water Running down edge stream, the snow men began to hug one another and dance up and down with excitement

" ! ! " chuckled Chin Chilly, rubbing his hands together gleefully Grampa, his head held high chest thrust out proudly, followed-for Grampa felt was great day history of Ragbad-but Tatters was beginning misgivings Princess of Isa Poso

CHAPTER 13

Tatters Receives the Reward

PRINCE TATTERS had little time of either the ship or the fortune, for after short march over the snow, Chin Chilly stepped across small neck of land little army found themselves on great block of ice, only connected island itself narrow strip they had crossed messenger had already been dispatched Princess and, standing first on one foot then other, Tatters impatiently awaited her approach Urtha, remembering Chin Chilly's distaste for flowers, kept perfectly still, holding fast to Tatters' coat-tails and peering anxiously direction the messenger had taken

"Just like the old days; just like the old days ! " boasted Grampa, stamping up and down warm But when, moment later, the Princess of Isa Poso actually appeared, the old soldier nearly fell from under his hat Yes, really ! Princenss was maiden of ice and, wrapped in her robes of snow, she stared Prince of Ragbad so frigidly and cold and dreadful disdain that chill ran down his spine and icicles formed lashes

"My boy," stuttered Grampa, rushing over side, "I'm afraid we've been bit hasty consider little further "

"None ," fumed Chin Chilly, bustling forward hastily "None My word is my word I insist upon keeping it "

"We'll take your word 'll keep your daughter," began Grampa quickly But, ad-vancing with mincing little steps, the icy Princess held out her hand Her nose was and sharp made Tatters squint but before make any objection she seized his hand in her cold clasp same moment all the snow men except Chin Chilly sprang back across the little neck of land

"Run ! " panted Grampa, tugging Tatters coat

"Run ! " gasped Urtha But before Tatters could run blinding flash Chin Chilly had raised his sword, snapped off his daughter's hand and, seizing her other one, he dragged her back across the strip of land Then, before body could wink, the snow men with their sharp axes chopped away this connecting link leaving Grampa company marooned desolate iceberg