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The crowd parted. Hobbling toward the throne came the ugly little
Gheewizard of the Silver Island holding a large silver vase high above his
head, and after him--!
When Sir Hokus caught a glimpse of what came after, he leaped clean over
the Comfortable Camel.
"Uds daggers!" roared the Knight. "At last!" He rushed forward violently.
There was a sharp thrust of his good sword, then an explosion like twenty
giant firecrackers in one, and the room became quite black with smoke.
Before anyone realized what had happened, Sir Hokus was back, dragging
something after him and shouting exuberantly, "A dragon! I have slain a
dragon! What happiness!"
Everyone was coughing and spluttering from the smoke, but as it cleared
Dorothy saw that it was indeed a dragon Sir Hokus had slain, the rheumatic
dragon of the old Gheewizard himself.
"Why didn't you get the wizard?" rumbled the Cowardly Lion angrily.
"Must have exploded," said the Comfortable Camel, sniffing the skin daintily.
"Treason!" yelled the three Princes, while the Grand Gheewizard flung
himself on the stone floor and began tearing strand after strand from his
silver pigtail.
"
He has killed the little joy of my hearth!" screeched the old man. "I will turn
him to a cat, a miserable yellow cat, and roast him for dinner!"
"
Oh!" cried Dorothy, looking at Sir Hokus sorrowfully. "How could you?"
The slaying of the dragon had thrown the whole hall into utmost confusion.
Sir Hokus turned a little pale under his armor, but faced the angry mob
without flinching.
"Oh, my dear Karwan Bashi, this is so uncomfortable!" wheezed the camel,
glancing back of him with frightened eyes.
"There's a shiny dagger in my left-hand saddlesack. I doubt very much
whether they would like it," coughed the Doubtful Dromedary, pressing
close to the Knight.
"
On with the ceremony!" cried the eldest Prince, seeing that the excitement
was giving the Scarecrow's friends too much time to think. "The son of an
iron pot shall be punished later!"
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