Part 26 (2/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Fidge was delighted.”]

”Oh! no, n--no, never!” promised the Dodo.

”Well, one good one for the last, then,” cried the Doctor, giving a final push, and then leaving the poor Dodo to his fate.

I don't think that it could have been a very dreadful one, however, for a few minutes later he had joined the three children and the Palaeotherium in a journey on the switchback.

Fidge, who had never been on one before, was delighted with the experience, and shouted, ”Hooray! This is jolly!” as the car dashed down the steep incline.

The poor Palaeotherium, however, his nerves evidently greatly unstrung by his unfortunate experience on the roundabout, was dreadfully upset, and alarmed, and, hiding his eyes, he crouched at the bottom of the car till it reached the other end, when he at once got out, and no amount of persuasion would induce him to undertake the return journey.

He had scarcely got out into the grounds again, when he met the Archaeopteryx, who was carrying a strange-looking object, which he held up for the Palaeotherium's inspection.

”Your tail, I believe,” he said.

The Palaeotherium gave a hasty glance at his back, and then said, in rather a shamefaced way--

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Does this belong to you?”]

”Thank you! Yes, it is. You see, I have been obliged to wear a false one for some time; I had no idea, however, that it had become detached.” And he carefully adjusted it again, tying it on with a couple of tapes, and artfully concealing the ends.

”Our family,” he whispered, ”have no tails to speak of, and, as we look rather remarkable without them, most of us wear artificial ones; but please don't tell the others, they are sure to make fun of me, if you do.”

”All right,” promised the Archaeopteryx, kindly; ”I won't, if you don't wish me to; but I----”

”Hist! hist!” interrupted a voice, and the Dodo, with a very scared face, peeped from behind a tree. ”Who _do_ you think is here?” he gasped.

”Who?” inquired the others, curiously.

”The Little Panjandrum himself,” declared the Dodo. ”I have just caught sight of him up by the Palace, and he looks _so_ angry about something.”

CHAPTER XXI.

THE LITTLE PANJANDRUM AT LAST.

”The Little Panjandrum!” exclaimed Marjorie, ”I _shall_ be glad to see him at last. What is he like?”

”Oh! don't bother me about him,” cried the Dodo, impatiently; ”he's all right as Panjandrums go, I suppose, but I don't want to get into his clutches again, I can tell you.”

”Don't you, indeed?” remarked a voice, sarcastically. ”Well, His Importance is particularly anxious to see _you_ again, anyhow.”

The Dodo gasped, and the children turning around beheld the Little Panjandrum's Amba.s.sador.

”Hullo! you here, too?” he continued, when he recognized them. ”Well, I must say, you have been long enough bringing this wretched bird along.”

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