Then, despairing at last of wakening the beast, and worried over the fate of her friends, Polychrome again ran down entrance and hurried along the passage Nome King's cavern

Here she found Ruggedo lolling throne and smoking long pipe Beside him stood General Guph and Kaliko, and ranged King were the Rose Princess, Files Shaggy Man Tik-Tok still lay floor, weighted down big diamond

Ruggedo was now in more contented frame of mind One by one he had met the invaders and easily captured them The dreaded Love Magnet was indeed in Shaggy's pocket, only few feet away King, but Shaggy was powerless to show it and unless Ruggedo's eyes beheld the talisman it affect him As for Betsy Bobbin and her mule, he believed Kaliko had placed them Slimy Cave, while Ann and her officers he thought safely imprisoned pit Ruggedo had no fear of Files or Ozga, but safe side he had ordered golden handcuffs placed upon their wrists These cause them any great annoyance but prevented them from making an attack, had they been inclined

The Nome King, thinking himself wholly master situation, was laughing and jeering at his prisoners when Polychrome, exquisitely beautiful and dancing like ray of light, entered the cavern

"Oho ! " cried the King; "a Rainbow under ground, eh ? " and then he stared hard at Polychrome, and still harder, and then he sat up and pulled the wrinkles out robe and arranged his whiskers "On my word," said he, " very captivating creature; moreover, I perceive fairy "

" Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter," she said proudly

"Well," replied Ruggedo, "I like you The others I hate I hate everybody--but you ! Wouldn't you like to live always beautiful cavern, Polychrome ? See ! the jewels that stud the walls have every tint and color of your Rainbow--and so elusive I'll have fresh dewdrops gathered for your feasting every day and you shall be Queen of all my nomes and pull Kaliko's nose whenever you like "

"No, ," laughed Polychrome "My home is sky, and I'm only on visit solid, sordid earth But tell me, Ruggedo, why my friends wound with cords and bound with chains ? "

"They threatened me," answered Ruggedo "The fools know how powerful "

"Then, since now helpless, release them and back earth's surface ? "

"Because I hate 'em and mean 'em suffer for their invasion But I'll make bargain , sweet Polly Remain here and live with me and I'll set all these people free You shall be my daughter or my wife or my aunt or grandmother-- whichever you like--only stay here to brighten my gloomy kingdom and make me happy ! "

Polychrome looked at him wonderingly Then she turned to Shaggy and asked:

" sure he hasn't seen the Love Magnet ? "

"I'm positive," answered Shaggy "But you something of Love Magnet yourself, Polychrome "

She laughed again and said to Ruggedo: "Not even to rescue my friends would I live in your kingdom Nor could I endure for long the society wicked monster "

"You forget," retorted the King, scowling darkly, "that you also are in my power "

"Not so, Ruggedo The Rainbow's Daughter is beyond the reach of your spite or malice "

"Seize her ! " suddenly shouted the King, and General Guph sprang forward to obey Polychrome stood quite still, yet when Guph attempted to clutch her his hands met in air, and now the Rainbow's Daughter was in another part room, as smiling and composed as before

Guph endeavored to capture her and Ruggedo even came down throne to assist his General; but never could they lay hands lovely sky fairy, who flitted here and there swiftness of light and constantly defied them with her merry laughter as she evaded their efforts

So after time they abandoned the chase and Ruggedo returned throne and wiped the perspiration face with finely-woven handkerchief of cloth-of-gold

"Well," said Polychrome, "what intend now ? "

"I'm going some fun, to repay me for all my bother," replied the Nome King Then to Kaliko: "Summon the executioners "

Kaliko at once withdrew and presently returned with score of nomes, all of whom were nearly as evil looking as their hated master They bore great golden pincers, and prods of silver, and clamps and chains and various wicked-looking instruments, all made of precious metals and set with diamonds and rubies

"Now, Pang," said Ruggedo, addressing the leader executioners, "fetch the Army of Oogaboo and their Queen pit and torture them here in my presence-- as presence friends great sport "

"I hear Your Majesty, and I obey Your Majesty," answered Pang, and went nomes passage he returned and bowed to Ruggedo

"They're all gone," said he

"Gone ! " exclaimed the Nome King "Gone where ? "

"They left no address, Your Majesty; but pit "

"Picks and puddles ! " roared the King; "who took the cover off ? "

"No one," said Pang "The cover was there, but the prisoners under it "

" case," snarled the King, trying to control his disappointment, "go Slimy Cave and fetch hither the girl donkey And while torturing them Kaliko must take hundred nomes and search escaped prisoners--the Queen of Oogaboo and her officers If find them, torture Kaliko "

Kaliko went away looking sad and disturbed, for the King was cruel and unjust enough to carry out this threat Pang executioners also went away, in another direction, but came back Betsy Bobbin was not , nor was Hank

" no one Slimy Cave, Your Majesty," reported Pang

"Jumping jellycakes ! " screamed the King "Another escape ? sure you found the right cave ? "

" but one Slimy Cave, and no one ," returned Pang positively

Ruggedo was beginning alarmed as angry However, these disappointments but made him the more vindictive and he cast an evil look other prisoners and said:

"Never mind the girl donkey Here are four, , escape my vengeance Let me see; I believe I'll change my mind about Tik-Tok Have the gold crucible heated to white, seething heat, and then we'll dump the copper man and melt him up "

"But, Your Majesty," protested Kaliko, who had returned room after sending hundred nomes to search Oogaboo people, " remember that Tik-Tok is very curious and interesting machine It shame to deprive the world clever contrivance "

"Say another word, and you'll go furnace ! " roared the King "I'm getting tired of you, Kaliko, first thing I'll turn you into potato and make Saratoga- chips of you ! The next to consider," he added more mildly, " Shaggy Man As he owns the Love Magnet, I'll transform him into dove, and then practice shooting at him with Tik- Tok's gun Now, very interesting ceremony and I beg you all to watch me closely that I've nothing up my sleeve "

out throne to stand Shaggy Man, and then he waved his hands, palms downward, in seven semicircles over his victim's head, saying in low but clear tone of voice the magic wugwa:

"Adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo ! Idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo ! "

The effect well-known sorcery was instantaneous Instead Shaggy Man, pretty dove lay fluttering floor, its wings confined by tiny cords wound around them Ruggedo gave an order to Pang, who cut the cords with pair of scissors Being freed, the dove quickly flew upward and alighted shoulder Rose Princess, who stroked it tenderly

" ! ! " cried Ruggedo, rubbing his hands gleefully together "One enemy is out way, and now others "

(Perhaps my readers warned not to attempt the above transformation; for, although the exact magical formula described, unlawful in all civilized countries for anyone to transform person into dove by muttering the words Ruggedo used There were no laws the Nome King from performing this transformation, but attempted in country, magic worked, the magician severely punished )

When Polychrome saw Shaggy Man transformed into dove and realized that Ruggedo was about do something as dreadful Princess and Files, Tik-Tok would soon be melted in crucible, she turned and ran cavern, passage and back place where Quox lay asleep

Chapter Eighteen

Clever Conquest

The great dragon still had his eyes closed and was even snoring in manner that resembled distant thunder; but Polychrome was now desperate, because any further delay meant the destruction of her friends She seized the pearl necklace, to attached the great locket, and jerked it with all her strength

The result was encouraging Quox stopped snoring eyelids flickered So Polychrome jerked again--and again--till slowly the great lids raised dragon looked at her steadily Said he, in sleepy tone:

"What's the matter, little Rainbow ? "

"Come quick ! " exclaimed Polychrome "Ruggedo has captured all our friends about to destroy them "

"Well, well," said Quox, "I suspected happen Step little out path, my dear, and I'll make rush Nome King's cavern "

She fell back few steps and Quox raised himself stout legs, whisked his long tail and in an instant had slid down the rocks and made dive entrance

Along the passage he swept, nearly filling it immense body, and now he poked his head jeweled cavern of Ruggedo

But the King had long since made arrangements to capture the dragon, whenever he might appear No sooner did Quox stick his head room than thick chain fell from above and encircled his neck Then the ends chain were drawn tight-- for in an adjoining cavern thousand nomes were pulling on them--and so the dragon could advance no further toward the King use his teeth or his claws and as his body was still passage he even room to strike his foes terrible tail

Ruggedo was delighted success stratagem He had just transformed the Rose Princess into fiddle and was about to transform Files into fiddle bow, dragon appeared to interrupt him So out:

"Welcome, my dear Quox, to my royal entertainment Since here, you shall witness some very neat magic, and after finished with Files and Tik-Tok I mean to transform you into tiny lizard-- chameleon sort--and you shall live in my cavern and amuse me "

"Pardon me for contradicting Your Majesty," returned Quox in quiet voice, "but I don't believe you'll perform any more magic "

"Eh ? ? " asked the King in surprise