d that it did, but no one could explain the mystery.

"However," said Shaggy, "they are gone, that is certain, so we cannot
help them or be helped by them. And the important thing just now is to
rescue my dear brother from captivity."

"Why do they call him the Ugly One?" asked Betsy.

"I do not know," confessed Shaggy. "I can not remember his looks very
well, it is so long since I have seen him; but all of our family are
noted for their handsome faces."

Betsy laughed and Shaggy seemed rather hurt; but Polychrome relieved
his embarrassment by saying softly: "One can be ugly in looks, but
lovely in disposition."

"Our first task," said Shaggy, a little comforted by this remark, "is
to find one of those secret passages to the Metal Forest."

"True," agreed Kaliko. "So I think I will assemble the chief nomes of
my kingdom in this throne room and tell them that I am their new King.
Then I can ask them to assist us in searching for the secret passages.

"That's a good idea," said the dragon, who seemed to be getting sleepy
again.

Kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it just as Ruggedo used to
do; but no one answered the summons.

"Of course not," said he, jumping up from the throne, where he had
seated himself. "That is my call, and I am still the Royal Chamberlain,
and will be until I appoint another in my place."

So he ran out of the room and found Guph and told him to answer the
summons of the King's gong. Having returned to the royal cavern, Kaliko
first pounded the gong and then sat in the throne, wearing Ruggedo's
discarded ruby crown and holding in his hand the sceptre which Ruggedo
had so often thrown at his head.

When Guph entered he was amazed.

"Better get out of that throne before old Ruggedo comes back," he said
warningly.

"He isn't coming back, and I am now the King of the Nomes, in his
stead," announced Kaliko.

"All of which is quite true," asserted the dragon, and all of those who
stood around the throne bowed respectfully to the new King.

Seeing this, Guph also bowed, for he was glad to be rid of such a hard
master as Ruggedo. Then Kaliko, in quite a kingly way, informed Guph
that he was appointed the Royal Chamberlain, and promised not to throw
the sceptre at his head unless he deserved it.

All this being pleasantly arranged, the new Chamberlain went away to
tell the news to all the nomes of the underground Kingdom, every one of
whom would be delighted with the change in Ki