ge hair hat, all such as in his wanderings he had
captured from black Kings and men of magic. He filled the pockets, he
stuffed them with bullets and copper rings and stones and lumps of
ice--everything heavy that he could find. At the rattling of the stones
Battle rolled over, muttering hoarsely in his sleep. Nod stopped
instantly and listened. No words he understood. Then once more he set to
work, and soon had dragged the huge stiff coat and hat and belt one by
one over the door-log into the snow.

"Hither, come hither! Hasten, mistress!" he called softly, capering
round about them. "Here's a sight to cheer your royal heart! Here's
riches! What have we here but the magic coat which the Oomgar stripped
from the M'keeso of the old Lord Shillambansa, that feeds a hundred
peacocks on his grave?"

Very, very heedfully Immanala drew near on her belly in the snow.
Cat-like, she smelt and capered.

"Have no fear, Beast of Shadows," called Nod softly; "the Oomgar sleeps
like moss on the Tree of Everlasting."

Then all her vanity and greed welled up in the Beast of Shadows, for
whosoever her dam may be, and all her lineage of solitude and
strangeness, she has more greed than a wolf, more vanity than a vixen.
She thrust her long lean head into the Cap.

"Do but now let me help you, mistress," said Nod, "as I used to help the
Oomgar. Stand upright, and I will thrust your arms into the sleeves. We
must hasten, we must be quiet." At every glance her greed and vanity
increased. Nod heaved and tugged till his thick fur lay dank on his
poll, and at last the dreadful Beast was draped and swathed and mantled
from ears to tail in the Oomgar's coat.

"Now for the Dondo's belt of sorcery," said Nod. "Sure, none will dare
sneeze in Munza-mulgar when the sailorman is gone." He put the thick
belt round her lean body, though his head swam with her muskiness, and
drew it tight into the buckle.

"Gently, gently, little brother!" sighed Immanala. "It is heavy, and I
scarce can breathe."

"The very Oomgar himself used often to snort," said Nod.

"But why does he keep so many stones in his pocket?" pined Immanala.

"Why, Queen of Wisdom! What if the wind should blow, and all his magic
flit away? Ay, ay, ay! stripped from the M'keeso of the dead Lord
Shillambansa came this coat into my Messimut's hands, who feeds five
hundred peacocks on his grave! And now his wondrous Cap of Hair! Nine
Fulbies, as I live, were flayed to skin that cap wi