d love of
any sort.

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

Kaliko returned to the cavern in time to overhear this question, and
being a loyal nome and eager 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 Love Magnet out of his pocket."

"True!" cried the King in delight at this easy solution of the problem.
"Get at once a dozen nomes, with ropes, and place them in the passage
where they can seize and bind Shaggy as soon as he enters."

This Kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchers outside the entrance were
growing more and more uneasy about their friends.

"I don't worry so much about the Oogaboo people," said Polychrome, who
had grown sober with waiting, and perhaps a little nervous, "for they
could not be killed, even though Ruggedo might cause them much
suffering and perhaps destroy them utterly. But we should not have
allowed Betsy and Hank to go alone into the caverns. The little girl is
mortal and possesses no magic powers whatever, so if Ruggedo captures
her she will be wholly at his mercy."

"That is indeed true," replied Shaggy. "I wouldn't like to have
anything happen to dear little Betsy, so I believe I'll go in right
away and 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 soon bring the Nome King to reason."

So it was decided to wait no longer. Shaggy walked through the entrance
first, and after him came the others. They had no thought of danger to
themselves, and Shaggy, who was going along with his hands thrust into
his pockets, was much surprised when a rope shot out from the darkness
and twined around his body, pinning down his arms so securely that he
could not even withdraw his hands from the pockets. Then appeared
several grinning nomes, who speedily tied knots in the ropes and then
led the prisoner along the passage to the cavern. No attention was paid
to the others, but Files and the Princess followed on after Shaggy,
determined not to desert their friend and hoping that an opportunity
might arise to rescue him.

As for Polychrome, as soon as she saw that trouble had overtaken Shaggy
she turned and ran lightly back through the passage and out of the
entrance. Then she easily leaped