"Kaliko, those invaders whom we threw down the Tube are coming back again ! " he exclaimed

" ," said the Royal Chamberlain, pulling other shoe "Tititi- Hoochoo allow them to remain kingdom, , and so I've been expecting them back for That was very foolish action of yours, Rug "

"What, to throw them down the Tube ? "

"Yes Tititi-Hoochoo has forbidden us to throw even rubbish Tube "

"Pooh ! what do I care Jinjin ? " asked Ruggedo scornfully "He never leaves his own kingdom, other side world "

"True; but he might send some one Tube to punish you," suggested Kaliko

"I'd like him ! conquer my thousands of nomes ? "

"Why, they've been conquered before, if I remember aright," answered Kaliko with grin "Once you running from little girl named Dorothy, and her friends, as were really afraid "

"Well, afraid, ," admitted the Nome King, with deep sigh, "for Dorothy had Yellow Hen that laid eggs ! "

The King shuddered as "eggs," and Kaliko also shuddered, and so did the Long-Eared Hearer; for eggs are the only things nomes greatly dread The reason eggs belong earth's surface, where birds and fowl of all sorts live, and something about hen's egg, especially, that fills nome with horror If by chance the inside of an egg touches underground people, he withers up and blows away and end of him--unless he manages quickly magical word which only few nomes know Therefore Ruggedo followers had cause to shudder mere mention of eggs

"But Dorothy," said the King, " band of invaders; nor Yellow Hen As for Tititi-Hoochoo, he has no means of knowing that afraid of eggs "

"You mustn't be too sure ," Kaliko warned him "Tititi-Hoochoo knows things, being fairy, powers are far superior to any boast "

Ruggedo shrugged impatiently and turned Hearer

"Listen," said he, "and tell me hear any eggs coming Tube "

The Long-Eared one listened and then shook his head But Kaliko laughed King

"No one can hear an egg, Your Majesty," said he "The only way to discover the truth is to look Magic Spyglass "

"That's it ! " cried the King "Why didn't of it before ? Look at once, Kaliko ! "

So Kaliko went Spyglass and by uttering mumbled charm he caused the other end of it to twist around, so pointed down the opening Tube Then he put his eye glass and was able to gaze along all the turns and windings Magic Spyglass and then deep Tube, to where our friends were falling

"Dear me ! " he exclaimed "Here comes dragon "

"A big one ? " asked Ruggedo

"A monster He has an electric light end tail, so him very plainly other people are all riding upon his back "

"How eggs ? " inquired the King

Kaliko looked again

" no eggs at all," said he; "but I imagine dragon is as dangerous as eggs Probably Tititi-Hoochoo has sent him here to punish you for dropping those strangers Forbidden Tube I warned you not , Your Majesty "

This news made the Nome King anxious he paced up and down, stroking his long beard and thinking with all his might he turned to Kaliko and said:

"All the harm dragon can do is to scratch claws and bite teeth "

" all, but it's quite enough," returned Kaliko earnestly " other hand, no one can hurt dragon, because he's the toughest creature alive One flop huge tail could smash hundred nomes to pancakes, and with teeth and claws tear even you or me into small bits, so almost impossible us together again Once, few hundred , while wandering through some deserted caverns, upon small piece of nome lying rocky floor I asked the piece of nome what had happened Fortunately the mouth was part piece--the mouth left eye--so able me that fierce dragon cause It had attacked the poor nome and scattered him in every direction, and no friend near to collect his pieces and put him together, they separated for years So , Your Majesty, in good taste to sneer at dragon "

The King had listened attentively to Kaliko Said he:

" only be necessary to chain this dragon which Tititi-Hoochoo has sent here, his reaching us claws and teeth "

"He also breathes flames," Kaliko reminded him

"My nomes afraid of fire, nor am I," said Ruggedo

"Well, how Army of Oogaboo ? "

"Sixteen cowardly officers and Tik-Tok ! Why, defeat them single-handed; but I won't try to I'll summon my army of nomes to drive the invaders out territory, and catch any I intend to stick needles into them until they hop with pain "

" you won't hurt any girls," said Kaliko

"I'll hurt 'em all ! " roared the angry Metal Monarch " braying Mule I'll make into hoof-soup, and feed it to my nomes, may add strength "

" be good strangers and release your prisoner, the Shaggy Man's brother ? " suggested Kaliko

"Never ! "

"It may save you lot of annoyance And you don't want the Ugly One "

"I don't want him; that's true But I won't allow anybody to order me around I'm King Nomes and I'm the Metal Monarch, and do as I please and what I please and when I please ! "

speech Ruggedo threw his sceptre at Kaliko's head, aiming it Royal Chamberlain had flat floor to escape it But the Hearer see the sceptre coming and it swept past his head so closely broke off the tip of one long ears dreadful yell that quite startled Ruggedo, King was sorry accident because those long ears Hearer were really valuable to him

So the Nome King forgot angry with Kaliko and ordered his Chamberlain to summon General Guph army of nomes them properly armed They were then to march mouth Tube, where seize the travelers they appeared

Chapter Fifteen

The Dragon Defies Danger

Although the journey Tube was longer, , than before, more comfortable that none friends minded it at all They talked together most time and found the dragon good-natured and fond sound own voice they soon became well acquainted and accepted him as companion

" ," said Shaggy, frank way, "Quox is side, and therefore the dragon is good fellow If he happened an enemy, instead of friend, dislike him , breath smells of brimstone, very conceited and so strong and fierce that prove dangerous foe "

"Yes, indeed," returned Quox, who had listened speech with pleasure; "I suppose about as terrible as any living thing you find me conceited, proves my good qualities As breath smelling of brimstone, I really can't help it, and I once met man whose breath smelled of onions, which I consider far worse "

"I don't," said Betsy; "I love onions

"And I love brimstone," declared the dragon, "so don't quarrel over one another's peculiarities "

Saying this, he breathed long breath and shot flame fifty feet mouth The brimstone made Betsy cough, but she remembered onions and said nothing

They had no idea how far they had gone center earth, nor when to expect the trip to end At the little girl remarked:

"I wonder when we'll reach the bottom hole And isn't it funny, Shaggy Man, that the bottom now, top when we fell the other way ? "

"What puzzles me," said Files, " able both ways "

"That," announced Tik-Tok, "is be-cause the world is round "

"Exactly," responded Shaggy "The machinery in your head is in fine working order, Tik-Tok , Betsy, such thing Attraction of Gravitation, which draws everything toward the center earth why we fall out of bed, and why everything clings surface earth "

"Then why doesn't everyone go on down center earth ? " inquired the little girl