ountry, and
the magic worked, the magician would be severely punished.)

When Polychrome saw Shaggy Man transformed into a dove and realized
that Ruggedo was about do something as dreadful to the Princess and
Files, and that Tik-Tok would soon be melted in a crucible, she turned
and ran from the cavern, through the passage and back to the place
where Quox lay asleep.

Chapter Eighteen

A Clever Conquest

The great dragon still had his eyes closed and was even snoring in a
manner that resembled distant thunder; but Polychrome was now
desperate, because any further delay meant the destruction of her
friends. She seized the pearl necklace, to which was attached the great
locket, and jerked it with all her strength.

The result was encouraging. Quox stopped snoring and his eyelids
flickered. So Polychrome jerked again--and again--till slowly the great
lids raised and the dragon looked at her steadily. Said he, in a sleepy
tone:

"What's the matter, little Rainbow?"

"Come quick!" exclaimed Polychrome. "Ruggedo has captured all our
friends and is about to destroy them."

"Well, well," said Quox, "I suspected that would happen. Step a little
out of my path, my dear, and I'll make a rush for the Nome King's
cavern."

She fell back a few steps and Quox raised himself on his stout legs,
whisked his long tail and in an instant had slid down the rocks and
made a dive through the entrance.

Along the passage he swept, nearly filling it with his immense body,
and now he poked his head into the jeweled cavern of Ruggedo.

But the King had long since made arrangements to capture the dragon,
whenever he might appear. No sooner did Quox stick his head into the
room than a thick chain fell from above and encircled his neck. Then
the ends of the chain were drawn tight--for in an adjoining cavern a
thousand nomes were pulling on them--and so the dragon could advance no
further toward the King. He could not use his teeth or his claws and as
his body was still in the passage he had not even room to strike his
foes with his terrible tail.

Ruggedo was delighted with the success of his stratagem. He had just
transformed the Rose Princess into a fiddle and was about to transform
Files into a fiddle bow, when the dragon appeared to interrupt him. So
he called out:

"Welcome, my dear Quox, to my royal entertainment. Since you are here,
you shall witness some very neat magic, and after I have finished with
Files and Tik-