"Don't let us worry," said Shaggy to hiscompanions, "for it may take the Queen some timeto conquer the Metal Monarch, as Tik-Tok has to doeverything in his slow, mechanical way."

"Do you suppose they are likely to fail?" askedthe Rose Princess.

"I do, indeed," replied Shaggy. "This Nome Kingis really a powerful fellow and has a legion ofnomes to assist him, whereas our bold Queencommands a Clockwork Man and a band of faint-hearted officers."

"She ought to have let Quox do the conquering,"said Polychrome, dancing lightly upon a point ofrock and fluttering her beautiful draperies. "Butperhaps the dragon was wise to let her go first,for when she fails to conquer Ruggedo she maybecome more modest in her ambitions."

"Where is the dragon now?" inquired Ozga.

"Up there on the rocks," replied Files. "Look,my dear; you may see him from here. He said hewould take a little nap while we were mixing upwith Ruggedo, and he added that after we hadgotten into trouble he would wake up and conquerthe Nome King in a jiffy, as his master the Jinjinhas ordered him to do."

"Quox means well," said Shaggy, "but I do notthink we shall need his services; for just as soonas I am satisfied that Queen Ann and her army havefailed to conquer Ruggedo, I shall enter thecaverns and show the King my Love Magnet. That hecannot resist; therefore the conquest will be madewith ease."

This speech of Shaggy Man's was overheard by theLong-Eared Hearer, who was at that moment standingby Ruggedo's side. For when the King and Guph hadrecovered from Hank's kick and had pickedthemselves up, their first act was to turn Tik-Tokon his back and put a heavy diamond on top of him,so that he could not get up again. Then theycarefully put his gun in a corner of the cavernand the King sent Guph to fetch the Long-EaredHearer.

The Hearer was still angry at Ruggedo forbreaking his ear, but he acknowledged the NomeKing to be his master and was ready to obey hiscommands. Therefore he repeated Shaggy's speech tothe King, who at once realized that his Kingdomwas in grave danger. For Ruggedo knew of the LoveMagnet and its powers and was horrified at thethought that Shaggy might show him the magictalisman and turn all the hatred in his heart intolove. Ruggedo was proud of his hatred and abhorredlove of any sort.

"Really," said he, "I'd rather he conquered andlose my wealth and my Kingdom than gaze at thatawful Love Magnet. What can I do to prevent theShaggy Man from taking it out of his pocket?"

Kaliko returned to the cavern in time tooverhear this question, and being a loyal nome andeager to serve his King, he answered by saying:

"If we can manage to bind the Shaggy Man's arms,tight to his body, he could not get the LoveMagnet out of his pocket."

"True!" cried the King in delight at this easysolution of the problem. "Get at once a dozennomes, with ropes, and place them in the passagewhere they can seize and bind Shaggy as soon as heenters.

This Kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchersoutside the entrance were growing more and moreuneasy about their friends.

"I don't worry so much about the Oogaboopeople," said Polychrome, who had grown sober withwaiting, and perhaps a little nervous, "for theycould not be killed, even though Ruggedo mightcause them much suffering and perhaps destroy themutterly. But we should not have allowed Betsy andHank to go alone into the caverns. The little girlis mortal and possesses no magic powers whatever,so if Ruggedo captures her she will be wholly athis. mercy."

"That is indeed true," replied Shaggy. "Iwouldn't like to have anything happen to dearlittle Betsy, so I believe I'll go in right awayand put an end to all this worry."

"We may as well go with you," asserted Files,"for by means of the Love Magnet, you can soonbring the Nome King to reason.

So it was decided to wait no longer. Shaggywalked through the entrance first, and after himcame the others. They had no thought of danger tothemselves, and Shaggy, who was going along withhis hands thrust into his pockets, was muchsurprised when a rope shot out from the darknessand twined around his body, pinning down his armsso securely that he could not even withdraw hishands from the pockets. Then appeared severalgrinning nomes, who speedily tied knots in theropes and then led the prisoner along the passageto the cavern. No attention was paid to theothers, but Files and the Princess followed onafter Shaggy, determined not to desert theirfriend and hoping that an opportunity might ariseto rescue him.

As for Polychrome, as soon as she saw thattrouble had overtaken Shaggy she turned and ranlightly back through the passage and out of theentrance. Then she easily leaped from rock to rockuntil she paused beside the great dragon, who layfast asleep.

"Wake up, Quox!" she cried. "It is time for youto act."

But Quox did not wake up. He lay as one in atrance, absolutely motionless, with his enormouseyes tight closed. The eyelids had big silverscales on them, like all the rest of his body.

Polychrome might have thought Quox was dead hadshe not known that dragons do not die easily orhad she not observed his huge body swelling as hebreathed. She picked up a piece of rock andpounded against his eyelids with it, saying:

"Wake up, Quox-wake up!" But he would not waken.

"Dear me, how unfortunate!" sighed thelovely Rainbow's Daughter. "I wonder what isthe best and surest way to waken a dragon. Allour friends may be captured and destroyedwhile this great beast lies asleep."

She walked around Quox two or three times,trying to discover some tender place on his bodywhere a thump or a punch might he felt; but he layextended along the rocks with his chin flat uponthe ground and his legs drawn underneath his body,and all that one could see was his thick sky-blueskin--thicker than that of a rhinoceros--and hissilver scales.

Then, despairing at last of wakening the beast,and worried over the fate of her friends,Polychrome again ran down to the entrance andhurried along the passage into the Nome King'scavern.

Here she found Ruggedo lolling in his throne andsmoking a long pipe. Beside him stood General Guphand Kaliko, and ranged before the King were theRose Princess, Files and the Shaggy Man. Tik-Tokstill lay upon the floor, weighted down by the bigdiamond.

Ruggedo was now in a more contented frame ofmind. One by one he had met the invaders andeasily captured them. The dreaded Love Magnet wasindeed in Shaggy's pocket, only a few feet awayfrom the King, but Shaggy was powerless to show itand unless Ruggudo's eyes beheld the talisman itcould not affect him. As for Betsy Bobbin and hermule, he believed Kaliko had placed them in theSlimy Cave, while Ann and her officers he thoughtsafely imprisoned in the pit. Ruggedo had no fearof Files or Ozga, but to be on the safe side hehad ordered golden handcuffs placed upon theirwrists. These did not cause them any greatannoyance but prevented them from making anattack, had they been inclined to do so.

The Nome King, thinking himself wholly master ofthe situation, was laughing and jeering at hisprisoners when Polychrome, exquisitely beautifuland dancing like a ray of light, entered thecavern.

"Oho!" cried the King; "a Rainbow under ground,eh?" and then he stared hard at Polychrome, andstill harder, and then he sat up and pulled thewrinkles out of his robe and arranged hiswhiskers. "On my word," said he, "you are a verycaptivating creature; moreover, I perceive youare a fairy."

"I am Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter," shesaid proudly.

"Well," replied Ruggedo, "I like you. The othersI hate. I hate everybody--but you! Wouldn't youlike to live always in this beautiful cavern,Polychrome? See! the jewels that stud the wallshave every tint and color of your Rainbow--andthey are not so elusive. I'll have fresh dewdropsgathered for your feasting every day and you shallbe Queen of all my nomes and pull Kaliko's nosewhenever you like."

"No, thank you," laughed Polychrome. "My home isin the sky, and I'm only on a visit to this solid,sordid earth. But tell me, Ruggedo, why my friendshave been wound with cords and bound with chains?"

"They threatened me," answered Ruggedo. "Thefools did not know how powerful I am."

"Then, since they are now helpless, why notrelease them and send them back to the earth'ssurface?"

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

Polychrome looked at him wonderingly. Then sheturned to Shaggy and asked:

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

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

She laughed again and said to Ruggedo: "Not evento rescue my friends would I live in your kingdom.Nor could I endure for long the society of such awicked monster as you.

"You forget," retorted the King, scowlingdarkly, "that you also are in my power."

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

"Seize her!" suddenly shouted the King, andGeneral Guph sprang forward to obey. Polychromestood quite still, yet when Guph attempted toclutch her his hands met in air, and now theRainbow's Daughter was in another part of theroom, as smiling and composed as before.

Several times Guph endeavored to capture her andRuggedo even came down from his throne to assisthis General; but never could they lay hands uponthe lovely sky fairy, who flitted here and therewith the swiftness of light and constantly defiedthem with her merry laughter as she evaded theirefforts.

So after a time they abandoned the chase andRuggedo returned to his throne and wiped theperspiration from his face with a finely-wovenhandkerchief of cloth-of-gold.

"Well," said Polychrome, "what do you intend todo now?"

"I'm going to have some fun, to repay me for allmy bother," replied the Nome King. Then he said toKaliko: "Summon the executioners."

Kaliko at once withdrew and presently returnedwith a score of nomes, all of whom were nearly asevil looking as their hated master. They boregreat golden pincers, and prods of silver, andclamps and chains and various wicked-lookinginstruments, all made of precious metals and setwith diamonds and rubies.

"Now, Pang," said Ruggedo, addressing the leaderof the executioners, "fetch the Army of Oogabooand their Queen from the pit and torture them herein my presence--as well as in the presence oftheir friends. It will be great sport."

"I hear Your Majesty, and I obey Your Majesty,"answered Pang, and went with his nomes into thepassage. In a few minutes he returned and bowed toRuggedo.

"They're all gone," said he.

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

"They left no address, Your Majesty; but theyare not in the pit."

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

"No one," said Pang. "The cover was there, butthe prisoners were not under it."

"In that case," snarled the King, trying tocontrol his disappointment, "go to the Slimy Caveand fetch hither the girl and the donkey. Andwhile we are torturing them Kaliko must take ahundred nomes and search for the escapedprisoners--the Queen of Oogaboo and her officers.If he does not find them, I will torture Kaliko."

Kaliko went away looking sad and disturbed, forhe knew the King was cruel and unjust enough tocarry out this threat. Pang and the executionersalso went away, in another direction, but whenthey came back Betsy Bobbin was not with them, norwas Hank.

"There is no one in the Slimy Cave, YourMajesty," reported Pang.

"Jumping jellycakes!" screamed the King."Another escape? Are you sure you found the rightcave?"

"There is but one Slimy Cave, and there is noone in it," returned Pang positively.

Ruggedo was beginning to be alarmed as well asangry. However, these disappointments but made himthe more vindictive and he cast an evil look atthe other prisoners and said:

"Never mind the girl and the donkey. Here arefour, at least, who cannot escape my vengeance.Let me see; I believe I'll change my mind aboutTik-Tok. Have the gold crucible heated to a white,seething heat, and then we'll dump the copper maninto it and melt him up.

"But, Your Majesty," protested Kaliko, who hadreturned to the room after sending a hundred nomesto search for the Oogaboo people, you mustremember that Tik-Tok is a very curious andinteresting machine. It would be a shame todeprive the world of such a clever contrivance."

"Say another word, and you'll go into thefurnace with him!" roared the King. "I'm gettingtired of you, Kaliko, and the first thing you knowI'll turn you into a potato and make Saratoga-chips of you! The next to consider," he added moremildly, "is the Shaggy Man. As he owns the LoveMagnet, I think I'll transform him into a dove,and then we can practice shooting at him with Tik-Tok's gun. Now, this is a very interestingceremony and I beg you all to watch me closely andsee that I've nothing up my sleeve."

He came out of his throne to stand before theShaggy Man, and then he waved his hands, palmsdownward, in seven semicircles over his victim'shead, saying in a low but clear tone of voice themagic wugwa:

"Adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo!

Idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo!"

The effect of this well-known sorcery wasinstantaneous. Instead of the Shaggy Man, a prettydove lay fluttering upon the floor, its wingsconfined by tiny cords wound around them. Ruggedogave an order to Pang, who cut the cords with apair of scissors. Being freed, the dove quicklyflew upward and alighted on the shoulder of theRose Princess, who stroked it tenderly.

"Very good! Very good!" cried Ruggedo, rubbinghis hands gleefully together. "One enemy is out ofmy way, and now for the others."

(Perhaps my readers should be warned not toattempt the above transformation; for, althoughthe exact magical formula has been described, itis unlawful in all civilized countries for anyoneto transform a person into a dove by muttering thewords Ruggedo used. There were no laws to preventthe Nome King from performing this transformation,but if it should be attempted in any othercountry, and the magic worked, the magician wouldbe severely punished.)

When Polychrome saw Shaggy Man transformed intoa dove and realized that Ruggedo was about dosomething as dreadful to the Princess and Files,and that Tik-Tok would soon be melted in acrucible, she turned and ran from the cavern,through the passage and back to the place whereQuox lay asleep.