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CHAPTER 19 - KING ANKO TO THE RESCUE

The great magician Zog never slept. He was always watchful and alert. Some

strange power warned him that his prisoners were about to escape.

Scarcely had the four left the castle by the broken window when the monster

stepped from a doorway below and saw them. Instantly he blew upon a golden

whistle, and at the summons a band of wolf-fish appeared and dashed after the

prisoners. These creatures swam so swiftly that soon they were between the

fugitives and the dome, and then they turned and with wicked eyes and sharp

fangs began a fierce attack upon the mermaids and the earth dwellers.

Trot was a little frightened at the evil looks of the sea wolves, whose heads were

enormous, and whose jaws contained rows of curved and pointed teeth. But

Aquareine advanced upon them with her golden sword, and every touch of the

charmed weapon instantly killed an enemy, so that one by one the wolf-fish rolled

over upon their backs and sank helplessly downward through the water, leaving

the prisoners free to continue their way toward the opening in the dome.

Zog witnessed the destruction of his wolves and uttered a loud laugh that was

terrible to hear. Then the dread monster determined to arrest the fugitives

himself, and in order to do this he was forced to discover himself in all the horror

of his awful form, a form he was so ashamed of and loathed so greatly that he

always strove to keep it concealed, even from his own view. But it was important

that his prisoners should not escape. Hastily casting off the folds of the robe that

enveloped him, Zog allowed his body to uncoil and shoot upward through the

water in swift pursuit of his victims. His cloven hoofs, upon which he usually

walked, being now useless, were drawn up under him, while coil after coil of his

eel-like body wriggled away like a serpent. At his shoulders two broad, feathery

wings expanded, and these enabled the monster to cleave his way through the

water with terrific force.

Zog was part man, part beast, part fish, part fowl, and part reptile. His

undulating body was broad and thin and like the body of an eel. It was as

repulsive as one could well imagine, and no wonder Zog hated it and kept it

covered with his robe. Now, with his horned head and its glowing eyes thrust

forward, wings flapping from his shoulders and his eely body--ending in a fish's

tail--wriggling far behind him, this strange and evil creature was a thing of terror

even to the sea dwellers, who were accustomed to remarkable sights.

The mermaids, the sailor and the child, one after another looking back as they

swam toward liberty and safety, saw the monster coming and shuddered with

The Sea Fairies