hought the Boy. "How well they managed it! But I
hope the Saint won't get excited. I can trust the dragon all right. What
a regular play-actor the fellow is!"

St. George had at last prevailed on his horse to stand steady, and was
looking round him as he wiped his brow. Catching sight of the Boy, he
smiled and nodded, and held up three fingers for an instant.

"It seems to be all planned out," said the Boy to himself. "Round Three
is to be the finishing one, evidently. Wish it could have lasted a bit
longer. Whatever's that old fool of a dragon up to now?"

The dragon was employing the interval in giving a ramping-performance
for the benefit of the crowd. Ramping, it should be explained, consists
in running round and round in a wide circle, and sending waves and
ripples of movement along the whole length of your spine, from your
pointed ears right down to the spike at the end of your long tail. When
you are covered with blue scales, the effect is particularly pleasing;
and the Boy recollected the dragon's recently expressed wish to become a
social success.

St. George now gathered up his reins and began to move forward, dropping
the point of his spear and settling himself firmly in the saddle.

"Time!" yelled everybody excitedly; and the dragon, leaving off his
ramping sat up on end, and began to leap from one side to the other
with huge ungainly bounds, whooping like a Red Indian. This naturally
disconcerted the horse, who swerved violently, the Saint only just
saving himself by the mane; and as they shot past the dragon delivered
a vicious snap at the horse's tail which sent the poor beast careering
madly far over the Downs, so that the language of the Saint, who had
lost a stirrup, was fortunately inaudible to the general assemblage.

Round Two evoked audible evidence of friendly feeling towards the
dragon. The spectators were not slow to appreciate a combatant who could
hold his own so well and clearly wanted to show good sport; and many
encouraging remarks reached the ears of our friend as he strutted to and
fro, his chest thrust out and his tail in the air, hugely enjoying his
new popularity.

St. George had dismounted and was tightening his girths, and telling his
horse, with quite an Oriental flow of imagery, exactly what he thought
of him, and his relations, and his conduct on the present occasion; so
the Boy made his way down to the Saint's end of the line, and held his
spear for him.

"It's been a jo