b gave
himself up for lost and his heart almost ceased to beat.

He believed there was no way of escape. No one ever dared oppose
Choggenmugger. But Nikobob hated to die without showing the monster, in
some way, that he was eaten only under protest. So he raised his ax and
brought it down upon the red, protruding tongue of the monster--and cut
it clean off!

For a moment the charcoal-burner scarcely believed what his eyes saw,
for he knew nothing of the pearls he carried in his pocket or the magic
power they lent his arm. His success, however, encouraged him to strike
again, and this time the huge scaly jaw of Choggenmugger was severed in
twain and the beast howled in terrified rage.

Nikobob took off his coat, to give himself more freedom of action, and
then he earnestly renewed the attack. But now the ax seemed blunted by
the hard scales and made no impression upon them whatever. The creature
advanced with glaring, wicked eyes, and Nikobob seized his coat under
his arm and turned to flee.

That was foolish, for Choggenmugger could run like the wind. In a moment
it overtook the charcoal-burner and snapped its four rows of sharp teeth
together. But they did not touch Nikobob, because he still held the coat
in his grasp, close to his body, and in the coat pocket were Inga's
shoes, and in the points of the shoes were the magic pearls. Finding
himself uninjured, Nikobob put on his coat, again seized his ax, and in
a short time had chopped Choggenmugger into many small pieces--a task
that proved not only easy but very agreeable.

"I must be the strongest man in all the world!" thought the
charcoal-burner, as he proudly resumed his way, "for Choggenmugger has
been the terror of Regos since the world began, and I alone have been
able to destroy the beast. Yet it is singular that never before did I
discover how powerful a man I am."

He met no further adventure and at midday reached a little clearing in
the forest where stood his humble cabin.

"Great news! I have great news for you," he shouted, as his wife and
little daughter came to greet him. "King Gos has been conquered by a boy
Prince from the far island of Pingaree, and I have this
day--unaided--destroyed Choggenmugger by the might of my strong arm."

This was, indeed, great news. They brought Nikobob into the house and
set him in an easy chair and made him tell everything he knew about the
Prince of Pingaree and the fat King of Gilgad, as well as the details o