and began tearing strand after strand from his silver pig tail.
"He has killed the little joy of my hearth!" screeched the old man. "I will turn him to a cat, a miserable yellow cat and roast him for dinner!"
"Oh!" cried Dorothy, looking at Sir Hokus sorrowfully, "How could you?"
The slaying of the dragon had thrown the whole hall into utmost confusion. Sir Hokus turned a little pale under his armor but faced the angry mob without flinching.
"Oh, my dear Karwan Bashi—this is so uncomfortable!" wheezed the camel, glancing back of him with frightened eyes.
"There's a shiny dagger in my left-hand saddle-sack. I doubt very much whether they would like it," coughed the Doubtful Dromedary, pressing close to the Knight.
"On with the ceremony!" cried the eldest Prince, seeing that the excitement was giving the Scarecrow's friends too much time to think. "The son of an iron pot shall be punished later!"
"That's right!" cried a voice from the crowd. "Let the Emperor be restored!"
"I guess it's all over," gulped the Scarecrow.
259
