www.freeclassicebooks.com

uncontrollable fear. They were drawing nearer to the dome by this time, yet it was

still some distance away. The four redoubled their speed, darting through the

water with the swiftness of skyrockets. But fast as they swam, Zog swam faster,

and the good queen's heart began to throb as she realized she would be forced to

fight her loathesome foe.

Presently Zog's long body was circling around them like a whirlwind, lashing the

water into foam and gradually drawing nearer and nearer to his victims. His eyes

were no longer glowing coals, they were balls of flame, and as he circled around

them, he laughed aloud that horrible laugh which was far more terrifying than

any cry of rage could be. The queen struck out with her golden sword, but Zog

wrapped a coil of his thin body around it and, wrestling it from her hand, crushed

the weapon into a shapeless mass. Then Aquareine waved her fairy wand, but in

a flash the monster sent it flying away through the water.

Cap'n Bill now decided that they were lost. He drew Trot closer to his side and

placed one arm around her. "I can't save you, dear little mate," he said sadly, "but

we've lived a long time together, an' now we'll die together. I knew, Trot, when

first we sawr them mermaids, as we'd--we'd--"

"Never live to tell the tale," said the child. "But never mind, Cap'n Bill, we've done

the best we could, and we've had a fine time."

"Forgive me! Oh, forgive me!" cried Aquareine despairingly. "I tried to save you,

my poor friends, but--"

What's that?" exclaimed the Princess, pointing upward. They all looked past

Zog's whirling body, which was slowly enveloping them in its folds, toward the

round opening in the dome. A dark object had appeared there, sliding downward

like a huge rope and descending toward them with lightning rapidly. They gave a

great gasp as they recognized the countenance of King Anko, the sea serpent, its

gray hair and whiskers bristling like those of an angry cat, and the usually mild

blue eyes glowing with a ferocity even more terrifying than the orbs of Zog.

The magician gave a shrill scream at sight of his dreaded enemy, and abandoning

his intended victims, Zog made a quick dash to escape. But nothing in the sea

could equal the strength and quickness of King Anko when he was roused. In a

flash the sea serpent had caught Zog fast in his coils, and his mighty body swept

round the monster and imprisoned him tightly. The four, so suddenly rescued,

swam away to a safer distance from the struggle, and then they turned to watch

the encounter between the two great opposing powers of the ocean's depths. Yet

there was no desperate fight to observe, for the combatants were unequal. The

end came before they were aware of it. Zog had been taken by surprise, and his

The Sea Fairies