Part 4 (1/2)
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But with the bow and arrows that might mean so much to him Florimel only increased his pace, so that the other was soon distanced. Finally the man in despair gave up the chase, and stood watching until Florimel turned, waved his hand, and disappeared into the heavy growth of forest.
And on and on he went, though nothing extraordinary befell him. So for three days he continued, suffering neither from hunger nor from thirst, for there were plenty of pure brooks at which he could lave and drink, and it was the time of the delicious tomtom, a juicy fruit everywhere in great abundance, which tasted like a banana flavored with vanilla ice cream, and which had all the sustaining qualities of beefsteak.
Of this Florimel partook heartily and at will, as well as of berries and nuts, and when weary slept for precaution's sake in the forked branches of trees, with his rest broken only by the cras.h.i.+ng of some skulking animal through thick, tangled underbrush in quest of prey or a long, drawn-out, shuddering night-cry that would chill his blood and cause his heart for a moment to cease its beat.
Still there were trees growing thickly together, and r.e.t.a.r.ding and making difficult one's advance. But, just when he was growing discouraged, they began to thin out, and he came into more open s.p.a.ces.
Finally he reached a tiny lake that shone like a turquoise in a bowl-like formation at the base of a steep hill.
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A path ran up the hillside, and this evidently had been much in use, for the gra.s.s was worn and trodden by many feet. On a ledge there was an old, decaying, leafless tree, and on one of its gaunt, top-branches that jutted over the lake a pair of intrepid eagles had built their nest.
Florimel looked up and spied the young eaglets who were just old enough to essay flight, selfishly trying to crowd each other out of their airy structure of sticks and straws. Far overhead their parents described invisible circles in the sky, emitting as they did so harsh shrieks of pride.
While he gazed upward, thinking meanwhile that it was a strange abode for eagles to choose, in place of the customary mountain-crag, he was suddenly startled by the savage roar of beasts.
Quick as a flash he turned, and saw a wild, fierce, snarling pack--a confused, horrifying vision of lions, tigers, and leopards--their red tongues lolling from their watering mouths--their nostrils dilated at the scent of human blood--flying with leaps and bounds to rend and tear him apart and devour him.
Desperately he seized an arrow from the quiver, and placing it in the bow pointed it at them and pulled back the cord.
But the cord snapped in twain, and the arrow fell harmlessly to the ground.
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CHAPTER IV
THE HUMAN OCTOPUS STARTS UPON A MISSION
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Across the minor sea whose blue, sparkling waters kissed the fair sh.o.r.es of Queen t.i.tania's fairy kingdom, about a hundred leagues as flies the crow, there was another country where lived the notorious enchanter Dragonfel.
A fairy messenger on a winged steed had conveyed information that Dragonfel intended to make trouble. But this was nothing new for Dragonfel.
As a matter of fact, he was always trying to make trouble for everybody.
Trouble was his specialty.
Dragonfel was not a nice man, and, if you had known him, you would not have liked him. He cheated when he played croquet, and he was always claiming wickets that he never made. He did not go to Sunday School, either. If he had gone, he would not have put a penny in the plate for the heathen. That was the kind of man he was.
Yet he was the possessor of fabulous riches, and he never would have missed what he might have given away had he been charitably inclined, which he was not in the least.
No one else in the whole world was as wealthy as he. He owned a combination mine in which were diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and other precious gems galore, some of them as big as cobblestones.
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It may be said with safety that Dragonfel was inclined to have his own way, and carry out his own ideas. He was very rich, and had money to burn. When in the mood of celebrating some great event, such as the Burial of Good Intentions, or the Failure in Eden, instead of climbing on some rock to set off firecrackers, burn Roman candles, or discharge toy cannon, he delighted in burning Bank Bonds, Legal Tenders, or Government Securities of large denominations, until the ashes of them were declared a nuisance by his Board of Health, and with reluctance he would discontinue his celebration.