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diff --git a/old/61441-0.txt b/old/61441-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c430857..0000000 --- a/old/61441-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5866 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Little Green Goblin, by James Ball -Naylor, Illustrated by Harry L. Miller - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Little Green Goblin - - -Author: James Ball Naylor - - - -Release Date: February 18, 2020 [eBook #61441] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LITTLE GREEN GOBLIN*** - - -E-text prepared by Mary Glenn Krause and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by the Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/) and Internet -Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 61441-h.htm or 61441-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/61441/61441-h/61441-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/61441/61441-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive--See - https://archive.org/details/littlegreengobli00nayl - and through the Library of Congress--See - https://www.loc.gov/item/07024772 - - - - - -[Illustration: It was a most beautiful sight, that city. (See page 103.)] - - -THE LITTLE GREEN GOBLIN - -by - -JAMES BALL NAYLOR. - -Illustrated by Harry·L·Miller· - - - - - - -The Saalfield Publishing Company. - -·New York· ·Akron·Ohio· ·Chicago· - -H. L. Miller · 1907. - -Copyright, 1907 -by -The Saalfield Publishing Company - - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration: ILLUSTRATIONS] - - - It was a most beautiful sight, that city. _Frontispiece_ - - A broad band of moonlight streamed in at the open window. 36 - - He picked up a large knotted pole for a cane. 82 - - Two giants stood triumphantly grinning down upon twenty pygmies. 134 - - Bob and his comrade went straight to the mayor’s office. 160 - - “If you’re rested now, we’ll resume our sight-seeing.” 176 - - - - -[Illustration: CONTENTS.] - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. A Midnight Visit from the Little Green Goblin 9 - - II. Bob Becomes an Aëronaut 25 - - III. Through a Storm in a Balloon 43 - - IV. In Danger of the Sea 57 - - V. In which Bob Becomes a Giant 71 - - VI. Lost in the Desert 87 - - VII. Fitz Mee Magnetizes the Spring 101 - - VIII. The Balloonists Encounter Arabs 117 - - IX. A Wireless Message to Headquarters 131 - - X. Arrived in Goblinland 143 - - XI. In the Land where You Do as You Please 159 - - XII. Before the Mayor of Goblinland 173 - - - - -CHAPTER I - -A MIDNIGHT VISIT FROM THE LITTLE GREEN GOBLIN - - -Little Bob Taylor was mad, discouraged, and thoroughly miserable. -Things had gone wrong—as things have the perverse habit of doing with -mischievous, fun-loving boys of ten—and he was disgruntled, disgusted. -The school year drawing to a close had been one of dreary drudgery; at -least that was the retrospective view he took of it. And warm, sunshiny -weather had come—the season for outdoor sports and vagrant rambles—and -the end was not yet. Still he was a galley slave in the gilded barge of -modern education; and open and desperate rebellion was in his heart. - -One lesson was not disposed of before another intrusively presented -itself, and tasks at home multiplied with a fecundity rivaling that of -the evils of Pandora’s box. Yes, Bob was all out of sorts. School was a -bore; tasks at home were a botheration, and life was a frank failure. He -knew it; and what he _knew_ he knew. - -He had come from school on this particular day in an irritable, surly -mood, to find that the lawn needed mowing, that the flower-beds needed -weeding,—and just when he desired to steal away upon the wooded hillside -back of the house and make buckeye whistles! He had demurred, grumbled -and growled, and his father had rebuked him. Then he had complained of -a headache, and his mother had given him a pill—a pill! think of it—and -sent him off to bed. - -[Illustration] - -So here he was, tossing upon his own little bed in his own little room -at the back of the house. It was twilight. The window was open, and the -sweet fragrance of the honeysuckle flowers floated in to him. Birds were -chirping and twittering as they settled themselves to rest among the -sheltering boughs of the wild cherry tree just without, and the sounds of -laughter and song came from the rooms beneath, where the other members -of the family were making merry. Bob was hurt, grieved. Was there such -a thing as justice in the whole world? He doubted it! And he wriggled -and squirmed from one side of the bed to the other, kicked the footboard -and dug his fists into the pillows—burning with anger and consuming -with self-pity. At last the gathering storm of his contending emotions -culminated in a downpour of tears, and weeping, he fell asleep. - -“Hello! Hello, Bob! Hello, Bob Taylor!” - -Bob popped up in bed, threw off the light coverings and stared about him. -A broad band of moonlight streamed in at the open window, making the room -almost as light as day. Not a sound was to be heard. The youngster peered -into the shadowy corners and out into the black hallway, straining his -ears. The clock down stairs struck ten deliberate, measured strokes. - -“I thought I heard somebody calling me,” the lad muttered; “I must have -been dreaming.” - -He dropped back upon his pillows and closed his eyes. - -“Hello, Bob!” - -The boy again sprang to a sitting posture, as quick as a jack-in-a-box, -his eyes and mouth wide open. He was startled, a little frightened. - -“Hel—hello yourself!” he quavered. - -“I’m helloing you,” the voice replied. “I’ve no need to hello myself; -_I’m_ awake.” - -Bob looked all around, but could not locate the speaker. - -“I’m awake, too,” he muttered; “at least I guess I am.” - -“Yes, you’re awake all right enough now,” the voice said; “but I nearly -yelled a lung loose getting you awake.” - -“Well, where are you?” the boy cried. - -A hoarse, rasping chuckle was the answer, apparently coming from the open -window. Bob turned his eyes in that direction and blinked and stared, -and blinked again; for there upon the sill, distinctly visible in the -streaming white moonlight, stood the oddest, most grotesque figure the -boy had ever beheld. Was it a dwarfed and deformed bit of humanity, or a -gigantic frog masquerading in the garb of a man? Bob could not tell; so -he ventured the very natural query: - -“What are you?” - -“I’m a goblin,” his nocturnal visitor made reply, in a harsh strident, -parrot-like voice. - -“A goblin?” Bob questioned. - -“Yes.” - -“Well, what’s a goblin?” - -“Don’t you know?” in evident surprise. - -“No.” - -“Why, boy—boy! Your education has been sadly amiss.” - -“I know it,” Bob replied with unction, his school grievances returning in -full force to his mind. “But what is a goblin? Anything like a gobbler?” - -“Stuff!” his visitor exclaimed in a tone of deep disgust. “Anything -like a gobbler! Bob, you ought to be ashamed. Do I look anything like a -turkey?” - -“No, you look like a frog,” the boy laughed. - -“Shut up!” the goblin croaked. - -“I won’t!” snapped the boy. - -“Look here!” cried the goblin. “Surely you know what goblins are. You’ve -read of ’em—you’ve seen their pictures in books, haven’t you?” - -“I think I have,” Bob said reflectively, “but I don’t know just what they -are.” - -“You know what a man is, don’t you?” the goblin queried. - -“Of course.” - -“Well, what _is_ a man?” - -“Huh?” the lad cried sharply. - -“What is a man?” - -“Why, a man’s a—a—a _man_,” Bob answered, lamely. - -“Good—very good;” the goblin chuckled, interlocking his slim fingers over -his protuberant abdomen and rocking himself to and fro upon his slender -legs. “I see your schooling’s done you _some_ good. Yes, a man’s a man, -and a goblin’s a goblin. Understand? It’s all as clear as muddy water, -when you think it over. Hey?” - -“You explain things just like my teacher does,” the boy muttered -peevishly. - -“How’s that?” the goblin inquired, seating himself upon the sill and -drawing his knees up to his chin. - -“Why, when we ask him a question, he asks us one in return; and when we -answer it, he tangles us all up and leaves us that way.” - -“Does he?” the goblin grinned. - -“Yes, he does,” sullenly. - -“He must be a good teacher.” - -“He is good—good for nothing,” snappishly. - -The goblin hugged his slim shanks and laughed silently. He was a -diminutive fellow, not more than a foot in height. His head was large; -his body was pursy. A pair of big, waggling ears, a broad, flat nose, -two small, pop eyes and a wide mouth made up his features. His dress -consisted of a brimless, peaked cap, cutaway coat, long waistcoat, tight -fitting trousers and a pair of tiny shoes—all of a vivid green color. His -was indeed an uncouth and queer figure! - -“Say!” Bob cried, suddenly. - -“Huh?” the goblin ejaculated, throwing back his head and nimbly -scratching his chin with the toe of his shoe. - -“What are you called?” - -“Sometimes I’m called the Little Green Goblin of Goblinville.” - -“Oh!” - -“Yes.” - -“But what’s your name?” - -“Fitz.” - -“Fitz?” - -“Yes.” - -“Fitz what?” - -“Fitz Mee.” - -“Fits you?” laughed Bob. “I guess it does.” - -“No!” rasped the goblin. “Not Fitz _Hugh_; Fitz _Mee_.” - -“That’s what I said,” giggled the boy, “fits you.” - -“I know you did; but _I_ didn’t. _I_ said Fitz _Mee_.” - -“I can’t see the difference,” said Bob, with a puzzled shake of the head. - -“Oh, you can’t!” sneered the goblin. - -“No, I can’t!”—bristling pugnaciously. - -“Huh!”—contemptuously—“I say my name is Fitz _Mee_; you say it is Fitz -_Hugh_; and you can’t see the difference, hey?” - -“Oh, that’s what you mean—that your name is Fitz Mee,” grinned Bob. - -“Of course it’s what I mean,” the goblin muttered gratingly; “it’s what I -said; and a goblin always says what he means and means what he says.” - -“Where’s your home?” the boy ventured to inquire. - -“In Goblinville,” was the crisp reply. - -“Goblinville?” - -“Yes; the capital of Goblinland.” - -“And where’s that?” - -“A long distance east or a long distance west.” - -“Well, which?” - -“Either or both.” - -“Oh, that can’t be!” Bob cried. - -“It can’t?” - -“Why, no.” - -“Why can’t it?” - -“The place can’t be east and west both—from here.” - -“But it can, and it is,” the goblin insisted. - -“Is that so?”—in profound wonder. - -“Yes; it’s on the opposite side of the globe.” - -“Oh, I see.” - -The goblin nodded, batting his pop eyes. - -“Well, what are you doing here?” Bob pursued. - -“Talking to you,” grinned the goblin. - -“I know that,” the lad grumbled irritably. “But what brought you here?” - -“A balloon.” - -“Oh, pshaw! What did you come here for?” - -“For you.” - -“For me?” - -“Yes; you don’t like to live in this country, and I’ve come to take you -to a better one.” - -“To Goblinland?” - -“Yes.” - -“Is that a better country than this—for boys?” - -“Yes, indeed.” - -“In what way is it better?” Bob demanded, shrewdly. “Tell me about it.” - -“Well,” the goblin went on to explain, unclasping his hands and -stretching his slender legs full length upon the window-sill, “in your -country a boy isn’t permitted to do what pleases him, but is compelled to -do what pleases others. Isn’t that so?” - -“Yes, it is,” the lad muttered. - -“But in our land,” the goblin continued, “a boy isn’t permitted to do -what pleases _others_, but is compelled to do what pleases _himself_.” - -“Oh!” ejaculated Bob, surprised and pleased. “That’s great. I’d like to -live in Goblinland.” - -“Of course you would,” said the goblin, placing a finger alongside of his -flat nose and winking a pop eye. “Your parents and your teacher don’t -know how to treat you—don’t appreciate you; they don’t understand boys. -You’d better come along with me.” - -“I’ve a notion to,” Bob replied thoughtfully. Then, abruptly: “But how -did you find out about me, that I was dissatisfied with things here?” - -“Oh, we know everything that’s going on,” the goblin grinned; “we get -wireless telephone messages from all over the world. Whenever anybody -says anything—or thinks anything, even—we learn of it; and if they’re in -trouble some one of us good little goblins sets off to help them.” - -“Why, how good of you!” Bob murmured, in sincere admiration. “You chaps -are a bully lot!” - -“Yes, indeed,” the goblin giggled; “we’re a good-hearted lot—_we_ are. -Oh, you’ll just love and worship us when you learn all about us!” - -And the little green sprite almost choked with some suppressed emotion. - -“I’m going with you,” the boy said, with sudden decision. “Will your -balloon carry two, though?” - -“We can manage that,” said the goblin. “Come here to the window and take -a squint at my aërial vehicle.” - -[Illustration] - -Bob crawled to the foot of the bed and peeped out the window. There hung -the goblin’s balloon, anchored to the window-sill by means of a rope and -hook. The bag looked like a big fat feather bed and the car resembled -a large Willow clothes-basket. The boy was surprised, and not a little -disappointed. - -“And you came here in that thing?” he asked, unable to conceal the -contempt he felt for the primitive and clumsy-looking contraption. - -“Of course I did,” Fitz Mee made answer. - -“And how did you get from the basket to the window here?” - -“Slid down the anchor-rope.” - -“Oh!” Bob gave an understanding nod. “And you’re going to climb the rope, -when you go?” - -“Yes; can you climb it?” - -“Why, I—I _could_ climb it,” Bob replied, slowly shaking his head; “but -I’m not going to.” - -“You’re not?” cried the goblin. - -“No.” - -“Why?” - -“I’m not going to risk my life in any such a balloon as that. It looks -like an old feather bed.” - -“It _is_ a feather bed,” Fitz answered, complacently. - -“What!” - -The goblin nodded sagely. - -“Whee!” the lad whistled. “You don’t mean what you say, do you? You mean -it’s a bed tick filled with gas, don’t you?” - -“I mean just what I say,” Fitz Mee replied, positively. “That balloon bag -is a feather bed.” - -“But a feather bed won’t float in the air,” Bob objected. - -“Won’t it?” leered the goblin. - -“No.” - -“How do you know? Did you ever try one to see?” - -“N—o.” - -“Well, one feather, a downy feather, will fly in the air, and carry its -own weight and a little more, won’t it?” - -“Yes,” the lad admitted, wondering what the goblin was driving at. - -“Then won’t thousands of feathers confined in a bag fly higher and lift -more than one feather alone will?” - -“No,” positively. - -“Tut—tut!” snapped the goblin. “You don’t know anything of the law of -physics, it appears. Won’t a thousand volumes of gas confined in a bag -fly higher and lift more than one volume unconfined will?” - -“Why, of course,” irritably. - -“Well!”—triumphantly,—“don’t the same law apply to feathers? Say!” - -“I—I don’t know,” Bob stammered, puzzled but unconvinced. - -“To be sure it does,” the goblin continued, smoothly. “I know; I’ve tried -it. And you can see for yourself that my balloon’s a success.” - -“Yes, but it wouldn’t carry _me_,” Bob objected; “I’m too heavy.” - -“I’ll have to shrink you,” Fitz Mee said quietly. - -“_Shrink_ me?” drawing back in alarm bordering on consternation. - -“Yes; it won’t hurt you.” - -“How—how’re you going to do it?” - -“I’ll show you.” - -The goblin got upon his feet, took a small bottle from his waistcoat -pocket and deliberately unscrewed the top and shook out a tiny tablet. - -“There,” he said, “take that.” - -“Uk-uh!” grunted Bob, compressing his lips and shaking his head. “I don’t -like to take pills.” - -“This isn’t a pill,” Fitz explained, “it’s a tablet.” - -“It’s all the same,” the boy declared obstinately. - -“Won’t you take it?” - -“No.” - -“Then you can’t go with me.” - -“I can’t?” - -The goblin shook his head. - -“Isn’t there some other way you can—can shrink me?” - -Again Fitz Mee silently shook his head. - -“W-e-ll,” Bob said slowly and reluctantly, “I’ll take it. But, say?” - -“Well?” - -“What’ll it do to me—just make me smaller?” - -“That’s all.” - -“How small will it make me?” - -“About my size,” grinned the goblin. - -“Oo—h!” ejaculated Bob. “And will it make me as—as _ugly_ as you are?” in -grave concern. - -The goblin clapped his hands over his stomach, wriggled this way and that -and laughed till the tears ran down his fat cheeks. - -“Oh—ho!” he gasped at last. “So you think me ugly, do you?” - -“Yes, I do,” the lad admitted candidly, a little nettled. - -“Well, that’s funny,” gurgled the goblin; “for that’s what I think of -you. So you see the matter of looks is a matter of taste.” - -“Huh!” Bob snorted contemptuously. “But will that tablet change my looks? -That’s what _I_ want to know.” - -“No, it won’t,” was the reassuring reply. - -“And will I always be small—like you?” - -“Look here!” Fitz Mee croaked hoarsely. “If you’re going with me, stop -asking fool questions and take this tablet.” - -“Give it to me,” Bob muttered, in sheer desperation. - -And he snatched the tablet and swallowed it. - -Immediately he shrunk to the size of the goblin. - -“My!” he cried. “It feels funny to be so little and light.” - -He sprang from the bed to the window-sill, and anticly danced a jig in -his night garment. - -“Get into your clothes,” the goblin commanded, “and let’s be off.” - -Bob nimbly leaped to the floor, tore off his night-robe and caught up his -trousers. Then he paused, a look of comical consternation upon his apple -face. - -“What’s the matter?” giggled the goblin. - -“Why—why,” the boy gasped, his mouth wide open, “my clothes are all a -mile too big for me!” - -Fitz Mee threw himself prone upon his stomach, pummeled and kicked the -window-sill, and laughed uproariously. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -BOB BECOMES AN AËRONAUT - - -“You stop that, you mean old thing!” Bob blustered angrily. - -The goblin laughed the harder. - -“Stop it, I say!” the boy shouted, loud enough to waken all the sleepers -about the house, he thought. - -The goblin continued to laugh and rub his fists and kick his heels. - -“Oh, you think you’re smart!” the lad pouted, tears in his eyes, his lips -quivering. “Old Fits! Old Spasms! Old Convulsions! Yeah! Yeah!” - -“Here—here!” cried the goblin, springing to his feet and frowning darkly. -“You mustn’t call me such names, boy.” - -“I will!” sturdily. - -“If you do, I’ll go away and leave you, just as you are.” - -“I don’t care.” - -“You don’t?” - -“No, I don’t.” - -“What’re you mad about?” - -“You played a mean trick on me, and then laughed at me—that’s what.” - -“I didn’t play any trick on you.” - -“You did, too. You coaxed me to take that pill.” - -“Tablet, you mean.” - -“Well, tablet. What’s the difference?” - -“I persuaded you to take it.” - -“It’s all the same.” - -“And I forgot you didn’t have your clothes on. Now you’ll have to put ’em -on and take another tablet to shrink them.” - -“I won’t take it.” - -“Why won’t you?” - -“’Cause I won’t—that’s why. Think I want to _live_ on pills? I don’t like -’em.” - -“Are you afraid to take it?” - -“No, I—I’m not. But it wouldn’t shrink my clothes, if I did take it.” - -“Yes, it will. Look at your night-gown.” - -Bob picked up his discarded night-robe and closely examined it. It was -not larger than a doll’s dress. The lad grinned sheepishly, and began to -hustle into his garments. They were a world too large for him, and hung -upon his shrunken limbs in a baggy and outlandish fashion. His shoes -were ten sizes too big; his cap rested upon his shoulders. - -“Huh!” he muttered in disgust; “I look like a scarecrow.” - -“Here!” the goblin said, soberly. “Take another tablet.” - -Bob shook his head. - -“What’s the matter, now?” asked Fitz. - -“I’m afraid to take it,” the boy replied. - -“What’re you afraid of?” - -“I’m afraid it will shrink me all away to nothing.” - -“No, it won’t.” - -“You’re sure?” - -“Yes. These are goblin tablets; gob-tabs we Call ’em for short. They just -shrink a person to goblin size; you can’t shrink any more. Take it now; -it’ll just shrink your clothes.” - -“W-e-ll, I—I don’t know; I can’t remain in this fix, though.” Then in -sudden desperation:—“Give it to me; I’ll take it!” - -The lad swallowed the tablet. Barely had he done so, when his clothes -shrank to fit him—skin tight. - -“Say!” he giggled gleefully, closely examining himself. “Those tablets -are great.” - -“Sure!” winked the goblin. “Now are you ready to go?” - -“Why—why,” Bob faltered, “I’d like to bid my folks good-bye—especially -mamma.” - -“You’re in nice shape to bid your folks good-bye, now, aren’t you?” -sneered the goblin. - -“That’s so,” the boy muttered, sadly shaking his head. “But I do hate to -leave ’em without saying anything about it—especially mamma.” - -“Huh!” the goblin grunted, contemptuously. “You tell your mother of your -intention and she won’t let you go.” - -“Yes, that’s so.” - -“Well, let’s be off; we’re losing too much time.” - -“I—I can come back sometime, can’t I?” - -“Pshaw;” snapped the goblin. “I guess you’re satisfied with things here -and don’t want to go at all.” - -“Yes, I do want to go.” - -“Well, come on then—and no more fooling. I’ll be a good comrade to you; -we’ll have lots of fun. I’ll call you Bob and you’ll call me Fitz. Oh, -we’ll have a bully time!” - -“All right!” the lad cried courageously. “I’m ready.” - -“That’s the stuff!” chuckled the goblin. - -They leaped upon the window-sill. Fitz Mee caught the anchor rope and -shinned up it, and Bob nimbly followed. - -As the lad clambered into the basket he remarked: - -“Your balloon’s bigger than I thought it was, Fitz.” - -“You’re smaller than you were, that’s all,” the goblin grinned in reply. - -The car was indeed quite roomy and comfortable for such small beings. -A box-shaped bench encircled it on the inside, serving as seat and -locker, and at one side was a small tank of polished metal, with a pump -attachment. - -“What’s that thing?” the boy inquired, indicating the shining tank. - -“What thing?” asked Fitz Mee. - -“That shiny thing.” - -“Why, that’s my air-tank and pump.” - -“It looks just like the air machine papa has in his office,” Bob -remarked. His father was a physician. “He uses his in treating people’s -throats. What do you use yours for?” - -“Don’t you know?” queried the goblin in surprise. - -“No,” answered the boy. - -“Well—well! It’s plain you never had anything to do with feather-bed -ballooning. I use it in raising and lowering the balloon.” - -“In raising and lowering the balloon?” - -“Yes.” - -“You do?” - -“Certainly; that’s what I said.” - -“But how do you use it?” - -“I’ll show you in a minute,” Fitz Mee answered complacently. “You know -how they raise and lower gas balloons, don’t you?” - -“Yes, I—I guess so,” the boy replied, a little dubiously. “The gas raises -’em.” - -“Of course,” snapped the goblin, “that’s the lifting power, and feathers -raise feather-bed balloons. But what do they use for ballast in gas -balloons, eh?” - -“Sand bags,” Bob answered. - -“Yes,” the goblin pursued; “and when they want to go higher they throw -out sand, don’t they?” - -“Yes.” - -“And when they want to come down what do they do?” - -“Let the gas out of the bag,” Bob said at a venture. - -“That’s it,” Fitz Mee nodded. “And then they can’t go up again till -they’ve refilled the bag—eh?” - -“I guess that’s the way of it.” - -“To be sure it is. Well, we work the thing better with our feather-bed -balloons.” - -“We?” Bob cried. “Do all goblins use feather-bed balloons?” - -“Of course we do; that’s the way we travel. Didn’t you know that?” - -“No; I never heard of it.” - -“My—my!” Fitz Mee laughed. “You have a lot to learn, Bob. But I’ll show -you how I can bring my balloon to earth or send it to the skies in a -jiffy. When I wish to descend I just pump that tank full of compressed -air. See?” - -“No, I don’t see,” Bob declared. - -“You don’t?” muttered the goblin, in surprise and irritation. - -“No, I don’t.” - -“Why, compressed air’s heavier than ordinary air, isn’t it?” - -“Yes, of course.” - -“Well, then, when I get that tank full the balloon’s heavier; and the -increased weight overcomes the buoyancy of the feathers, and down I come.” - -“Oh!”—in open-mouth admiration,—“that’s great! And when you want to go up -again you just let the compressed air out, don’t you?” - -“Sure!” blinked the goblin. “I’ll show you.” - -He caught hold of the anchor rope, jerked the hook loose from the -window-sill, and wound up the slender line. Then he flew to the air -apparatus and turned a cock. Immediately there was the hiss of pent air -escaping through a hole in the bottom of the tank, and the balloon began -to ascend—slowly and gently at first, then more swiftly. - -When it was a short distance above the housetop Fitz Mee closed the cock, -remarking: - -“There! I guess that’ll balance us about right. We’ll rise a few hundred -feet and float there.” - -His prediction proved true. When the balloon had cleared the hilltops, -it stopped rising and floated motionless, like a great bubble with a -dripping blob at its pendant point. - -“Say!” Bob cried, suddenly. - -“Well?” said the goblin. - -“That tank looks just like the one papa has in his office.” - -“It _is_ just like it,” the goblin assured him. - -“And the car looks just like mamma’s old clothes-basket.” - -“Yes.” - -“And the bag looks just like grandma’s old feather-bed.” - -The goblin nodded and winked and smiled. - -“Well,” Bob declared triumphantly, “I could take those things and make me -a balloon.” - -“Of course you could,” grinned Fitz Mee, “if you were going to stay at -home.” - -“And couldn’t I have fun showing off before the other boys!” Bob -chuckled, gloatingly. - -“You’ll have lots more fun with me, in Goblinland,” his companion said -quickly. - -“Maybe I will,” the boy murmured reflectively, a little sadly. Then -observing that the balloon had stopped rising: - -“Why, what made us stop going up?” - -“Don’t you know?” the goblin returned with a half sneer. - -“No, I don’t,” the lad admitted. - -“Ho, ho!” Fitz Mee laughed, “You’re wonderfully dumb, you are, -Roberty-Boberty.” - -Bob bristled instantly. - -“Don’t you call me names,” he cried angrily. “You old—old Epilepsy!” - -“Epilepsy!” the goblin cackled hoarsely, holding his sides and weaving to -and fro. “What does that word mean?” - -“Fits,” the boy answered tersely. - -“Ho—ho!” the goblin continued to tackle. “You call me names, but you -don’t want me to call you names. Say, Bob?” - -Bob made no reply. - -“Bob?” Fitz repeated in as pleasant a voice as he could command. - -Bob maintained a stubborn silence. - -“Bob,” his companion went on, “the reason we stopped rising is because -the weight of the balloon just balances an equal volume of air at this -height. Understand?” - -“Yes,” the lad muttered rather grumpily. - -“All right, and if we wished to go higher—” - -“We’d have to let out more of the compressed air,” Bob interrupted, -brightly. - -“And if we desired to descend—” - -“We’d have to pump more into the tank.” - -“Of course,” mumbled the goblin. “You’ll make a great aëronaut one of -these days.” - -[Illustration] - -Then he lifted a lid of the locker, took out a small instrument and -busied himself with the manipulation of its mechanism. Bob leaned over -the edge of the car and devoted his attention to the scene below. - -Directly beneath lay the sleeping village, its roofs showing white in the -bright moonlight. To east and west the hills rolled away, their summits -hoary, their bases shadowy and obscure; and among them wound the placid -river—a stream of molten silver threading the narrow vale. The roar of -the distant mill-dam sounded sullen and indistinct, and the mists rising -from it waved as fairy plumes and banners. The lad looked and listened, -entranced, enraptured. - -“How beautiful it all is!” he murmured feelingly to himself, a catch in -his voice. “I—I like it; and I rather hate to leave it.” - -“Homesick already, are you, before you’re out of sight of home?” Fitz Mee -queried, his eyes upon the curious instrument he had placed in the bottom -of the car. - -“No, I’m not homesick!” Bob retorted sharply. - -“You’re not?” Fitz grinned provokingly. “What did you mean by your words, -then?” - -“I was just admiring the beautiful scene, that’s all,” Bob explained. - -“Oh!” ejaculated the goblin, wagging his head and saucily extruding his -tongue. - -“Uh-huh,” the lad nodded in return. - -“Well, I’ll show you scenes far more beautiful—in Goblinland.” - -It was Bob’s turn to sneer. - -“_Maybe_ you will,” he said. - -“I will,” Fitz asserted positively. - -“When?” - -“When we get there, of course.” - -“Yes; when we _get_ there.” - -“Well, we’ll get there.” - -“We’re not going very fast; we’re still right over the town.” - -And the boy laughed aloud, scornfully. - -“We haven’t started yet,” the goblin countered. - -“No; and we’re not likely to start, as far as I can see—unless a wind -storm comes on; and it may blow us in any direction.” - -“Bosh!” barked the goblin. - -“Bosh, yourself!” snarled the boy. - -“Say, Bob?” - -“What?” - -“Let’s quit quarreling.” - -“All right.” - -“Shake!” - -They solemnly shook hands. - -“Now,” the goblin cried briskly, “if you’re ready to say good-bye to -home, we’ll be off.” - -“I’m ready,” the lad answered; “but I don’t see how we’re going to be -off.” - -“I’ll show you. See that little instrument on the floor of the car?” - -“That compass?” - -“That’s not a compass.” - -[Illustration: A broad band of moonlight streamed in at the open window. -(See page 11.)] - -“It isn’t?” - -“No.” - -“Well, it looks like one. What is it?” - -“A wireless selector.” - -“And what’s that?” - -“You’ve heard of wireless telegraph instruments?” - -“Yes.” - -“And you know they send messages with them without using wires, don’t -you?” - -“Yes.” - -“Then, too, you’ve heard or read that there are currents of electricity -running around the globe in all directions, haven’t you?” - -“I—I think I have; yes.” - -“Well, the selector picks up or selects any current the operator -desires, and enables him to travel over it in his balloon, using it as a -propelling power.” - -“Well—well!” Bob exploded, in frank admiration. “Just like a trolley car!” - -“Yes, except no wire is needed.” - -“I don’t see how you tell which way it’ll go, though.” - -“The balloon?” - -“Yes.” - -“It’ll go whichever way the needle points.” - -“Why will it?” - -“Well, the needle of a compass points north, doesn’t it?” - -“Yes.” - -“Why does it?” - -“Because—because—I don’t know, I guess,” Bob admitted. - -“Because the attraction swings it, isn’t that it?” - -“I suppose so.” - -“Well, if the attraction swings the needle, won’t the needle swing the -attraction?” - -“I—I don’t know,” the boy stammered; “I never heard of such a thing!” - -“Isn’t it a poor rule that won’t work both ways?” - -“Yes; that’s what folks say, anyhow.” - -“Well, it is—a mighty poor rule. Now I’ll show you. Watch me. I desire to -travel due east; so I point this little needle in that direction. That -done, I turn this thumb-screw, and off we start.” - -Slowly the balloon began to move toward the east, over the village, -across the river, gradually leaving the valley behind. - -“I turn the screw a little more and a little more,” said the goblin, -suiting the action to the words, “and we begin to travel faster and -faster.” - -Soon they were going at a rapid and exhilarating speed. The air appeared -to whistle past as they cut through it; the moonlit landscape appeared to -flow away behind and beneath them. - -“My—my!” Bob cried, gleefully clapping his hands. “I never expected to -travel as fast as this. Fitz, this is simply great.” - -“You don’t call this gentle speed going fast, do you, Bob?” Fitz -returned, grinning broadly. - -“Indeed I do,” the boy replied earnestly. - -“Oh, we’re just loafing along!” the goblin chuckled. “I’ll show you how -I travel when I’m in a hurry to get along. Take off your cap, or you’ll -lose it, and hold on to the car. Now!” - -With the last word he gave another turn to the thumb-screw of the -selector. The balloon leaped forward like a mad thing of life; the -fragile car strained and quivered. Bob clutched the seat with both hands -and held on for dear life. The air appeared to rush past in a cutting, -shrieking tempest of wrath, that blinded and deafened the boy. He tried -to scream out, but could not. He felt his grip upon the seat weakening, -and, fearing he might be swept overboard, he loosened his hold and threw -himself to the bottom of the car. There he lay, panting and gasping—sick -with mortal terror. Then, of a sudden, the mad speed of the balloon began -to slacken and the boy gradually gathered up courage to open his eyes and -look around. - -There sat the impish Fitz Mee by the selector, his hand upon the -thumb-screw. - -“Hello!” the goblin grinned apishly. - -“Hello!” the boy muttered in reply. - -“How did you like it?” queried the goblin. - -“I didn’t like it,” answered the lad. - -“Wasn’t it fast enough for you?” - -“Too fast.” - -“Oh!” - -“Uh-huh.” - -“Wouldn’t you like to try it just a little bit faster, eh?” - -“No _sir_!” - -“It’s great fun—when you learn to like it.” - -“Yes,” Bob grumbled; “and taking pills is great fun—when you learn to -_like_ ’em.” - -“I can make the balloon go faster,” Fitz suggested. - -“I’ll take your word for it,” Bob grinned, shaking his head. - -They got up and seated themselves upon the locker. - -“Well,” the goblin remarked, yawning, “what do you think of us goblins as -balloonists?” - -“I think you’re the candy,” Bob replied, his voice and manner evincing -profound admiration. - -“The candy?” snickered his companion. “What do you mean by that?” - -“I think you’re the best ever.” - -“Oh! Better than you humans, eh?” - -“Far better.” - -“That so?” - -“Yes, indeed. And When I come back from Goblinland, I’m going to get -patents on your air-ballast machine and your wireless selector; and some -day I’ll be a mighty rich man—a millionaire.” - -The goblin grinned a very broad grin. - -“You’re going to take out patents on our inventions, you say, Bob?” he -remarked. - -“Yes,” the boy made reply. - -“When you return from Goblinland, eh?” - -“Yes.” - -Fitz Mee gulped and screwed his features. Then he began to chuckle -silently, and at last he burst out laughing. - -“What’s the matter?” Bob inquired, half in wonder, half in pique. - -“Oh, it’s so funny,” croaked the goblin, and he went into another spasm -of rasping, cackling laughter. - -“It _must_ be funny,” the boy grunted peevishly. “But what’s so funny?” - -“The thought of your returning from Goblinland, Bob,” Fitz Mee replied, -sobering and wiping his eyes. - -“Why, can’t I return—if I ever want to?” - -[Illustration] - -“You can, I suppose; but I doubt if you ever will.” - -“Why?” - -“Oh, ’cause.” - -“Well, ’cause what?” - -“You won’t want to, after you’ve been there a day or two.” - -“That’s it, eh?” - -The goblin nodded and winked seriocomically, mysteriously. Then he said: - -“Now we’ve got to ascend a few thousand feet to clear the tops of the -Alleghany mountains. Let a little more air out of the tank. There—that’s -enough. It’ll be quite cool at the altitude to which we’ll rise, so we’d -better put on the fur coats that are in the locker under you, Bob, and -curl down in the car and snooze awhile.” - -A few minutes later the two were asleep and the feather-bed balloon was -topping the Alleghanies. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THROUGH A STORM IN A BALLOON - - -On awaking Bob was a little confused. But soon he remembered where he -was, and he sat up and blinked and looked around for his companion. Fitz -Mee stood upon the locker, a tiny binocular glued to his pop eyes, gazing -intently at the western horizon. It was gray daylight, and they were -making good speed. - -“What’s the matter, Fitz?” Bob demanded, alert and interested at once. -“What’re you looking at?” - -“Looking at a storm gathering,” the goblin replied, without turning his -head. - -The boy rose to his feet, removed his fur coat, and wadded it into a ball -and stuffed it into the locker. - -“Storm?” he said. “I don’t see any signs of a storm.” - -“Don’t you see that blue line along the horizon?” Fitz asked. - -“Yes. Is that the storm?” - -“No; that’s the mountains we crossed. But take this glass and you can see -the storm gathering on their tops. See it?” - -“My!” Bob exclaimed, the glass to his eyes. “I guess I _do_ see it! It’s -a black one, too; and it’s moving this way. How soon will it overtake us?” - -This question he asked in some trepidation. - -“It won’t overtake us at all, unless we care to have it do so,” the -goblin made answer. - -“Why, can we outrun it?” - -“Yes.” - -“Sure?” - -“Sure, if we want to.” - -“Well, we’ll want to, won’t we?” - -“It’ll be fun to wait till it’s nearly upon us and then run away from it, -I think. Don’t you?” - -“I—I don’t know,” Bob returned, dubiously shaking his head, his gaze -still riveted upon the rising storm; “it _might_ not be fun.” - -“You’re afraid,” sneered the goblin. - -“No, I’m—I’m not.” - -“Yes, you are; you’re a coward.” - -“Don’t you call me that!” the lad cried, snatching the binocular from his -eyes and angrily turning upon his Companion. - -“I won’t,” the goblin promised. “Now turn your glass toward the east. -What do you see?” - -“I see the sea!” Bob cried rapturously. - - “It’s plain to me as plain can be— - In fact, I see you see the sea,” - -hummed Fitz Mee in sing-song. Then he continued: - -“If you’ll take a glance at the ground beneath us, you’ll notice we’re -moving very slowly. I’m loitering—waiting for the storm to catch up with -us; then we’ll have a race with it, out across the ocean. In the meantime -we’ll have breakfast.” - -[Illustration] - -“Breakfast?” Bob questioned. “Where’s breakfast coming from?” - -“From the locker,” smiled the goblin, rubbing his round little belly -and smacking his lips in anticipatory gusto, “where everything else we -need’ll come from. I always keep my air-ship stored for a long voyage, -for when I leave Goblinland on business, I never know when I’ll get back -home again. Are you hungry?” - -“You bet!” was the lad’s expressive but inelegant rejoinder. - -“Well, what do you think you need this morning? You can have whatever you -require.” - -“What do I think I need?” Bob tittered. “What a question! I need -breakfast, of course, Fitz.” - -“Of course,” snapped the goblin. “But do you need muscle food, or nerve -food, or fat food, or what?” - -“I—I don’t know,” stammered the boy, scratching his head in perplexity. -“I never heard of such things, I guess. I know what I’d _like_, though; -I’d like steak and gravy and hot biscuits, and some fruit and a glass of -milk.” - -“Huh!” the goblin snorted in supreme contempt. “You’ll find, Bob, we -don’t indulge in such indigestible truck in Goblinland. Our foods are -scientifically prepared, not slapped together haphazard. We use nothing -but the concentrated extracts—the active principals of food stuffs. I’ll -show you.” - -He went to the locker and brought forth a small leather hand-case or -satchel. - -“Why—why,” Bob muttered, his eyes bulging, “that looks just like papa’s -medicine-case!” - -“Well, it isn’t,” Fitz Mee grunted irritably; “it’s my portable pantry.” - -And he loosened the catch and flung the case open, displaying several -rows of tiny bottles containing tablets and pellets of various shapes, -sizes and colors. - -“Ugh!” the boy gagged. “Pills!” - -“They’re not pills,” rasped the goblin; “they’re food tablets and drink -pellets.” - -“They’re pills to me, all the same.” - -“They’re not pills, I tell you,” Fitz Mee reiterated sharply, snapping -his jaws shut and angrily grating his teeth. “Now I’ll select what you’re -to eat; and you’ll eat it. The storm’s approaching rapidly; I hear the -thunder muttering and see the black clouds rolling. So you’ll need -something to make you strong and courageous. Here’s a tiger-muscle tablet -and a lion-heart tablet. Down ’em.” - -Bob shut his mouth and shook his head. - -“Down ’em!” the goblin repeated. - -“Uk-uh!” the lad grunted. - -“You must!” - -“I won’t!” - -“You’ll starve if you don’t eat.” - -“I’d rather starve than take pills.” - -“Nonsense!” - -“I would!” - -“It won’t take you but a second to swallow ’em, Bob,” Fitz Mee said -coaxingly. “That’s one of the advantages of our kind of food; it don’t -take long to eat a meal.” - -“I never begrudged the time I spent in eating,” Bob remarked, with rather -a sickly grin. - -“Well, down the tablets—that’s a good boy.” - -“Are those—those things all you’ve got to eat?” - -“Yes.” - -“And don’t you have anything else in Goblinland?” - -“No, of course not.” - -“Oh, dear!” wailed the boy. “I wish I was back home! Nothing to eat but -pills! Golly!” - -“There, there, Bob!” the goblin said soothingly, kindly even. “You don’t -wish you were back home; you’re just hungry and nervous. Take these -tablets and you’ll be all right in a jiffy.” - -Bob silently held out his hand, his face a picture of lugubrious woe, and -silently took the tablets and swallowed them. - -Fitz Mee idly fingered the tiny bottles in the case for a minute or two, -mumbling over the names upon the labels. Then he looked up and asked: - -“Feel better, Bob?” - -“Yes,” the lad admitted rather reluctantly, “I feel stronger and better, -but I’m still awful empty.” - -“But you’re not hungry?” - -“No; just hollow-like.” - -“That’s because you’ve been used to filling your stomach with gross -food,” the goblin stated sagely; “you’ll get over that condition after -you’ve lived on tablets and pellets a month or two.” - -“A month or two!” the lad groaned. “Oh, dear!” - -“You haven’t had anything to drink,” Fitz remarked, smiling brightly. -“Take this pellet.” - -“What is it?” - -“A water pellet. It contains a pint of water.” - -“That teenty-weenty thing?” - -“Yes.” - -“Oh, nonsense!” - -“It does.” - -“I don’t believe it; it can’t.” - -“You down it and you’ll soon see.” - -Bob took the tiny clear pellet and instantly announced: - -“My thirst’s all gone, Fitz, and I feel fuller.” - -“But you’re still a little lank—a little empty-like, eh?” - -“A little, yes.” - -“Well, I’ll fix you. Take this.” - -“Oh, stop,” the boy demurred. “I’m not going to take all the pills in -that case.” - -“This is the last dose I’ll ask you to take,” the goblin returned, -batting his eyes at a bright flash of lightning from the rapidly -approaching storm. - -“Well, what is it?” Bob demanded, dodging the sharp clap of thunder -almost immediately following the lightning. - -“A sponge tablet.” - -“What’s it for?” - -“It’s to absorb some of the water you’ve taken, and to swell and fill -your stomach.” - -“I don’t want it—I don’t need it,” Bob said, decidedly shaking his head. - -“All right,” Fitz laughed, “you don’t have to take it. We just make ’em -for folks who aren’t satisfied unless their stomachs are full all the -time. Now I’ll eat my breakfast.” - -He hastily selected and swallowed a number of tablets and pellets; then -he closed the leather case with a bang and a snap and thrust it into the -locker. - -“Now,” he smiled, “I guess we’re all ready to play tag with that tempest. -And we’ll show it a thing or two—oh, _won’t_ we!” - -“Maybe it’ll show us a thing or two,” Bob replied, grinning a sickly grin -and shaking his head dubiously. “It’s getting pretty close and I don’t -like the looks of it. My! Just see those clouds rolling and whirling! -Fitz, I believe it’s a cyclone!” - -“No, it isn’t,” his companion muttered contemptuously; “it’s nothing but -a summer thunder gust.” - -By this time the storm was close upon them, coming swiftly. The lightning -was forking and flashing incessantly; the thunder was crackling and -crashing continuously. Bob gazed at the rolling, tumbling masses of black -clouds, at the play of electricity, and the forest and fruit trees -bending before the blast, and shivered; he listened to the mingled, -indescribable uproar of booming thunder and bellowing wind, and shuddered. - -“Oh, let’s be off, Fitz!” he pleaded. - -“We’re off!” his comrade cried, giving a half turn to the thumb-screw of -the selector. - -Before the raging storm they sped, the boy frightened and miserable, -the goblin elated and jubilant. Rapidly they approached the ocean, and -soon they were sailing over a city on the shore. Binocular in hand, Bob -watched the storm behind and the earth beneath, and trembled. He saw -people rushing to shelter; saw fences and groves leveled, and skyscrapers -and steeples sent crashing to earth. - -“Oh, Fitz—Fitz!” the lad groaned. “It _is_ a cyclone!” - -“I guess it is,” the goblin answered nonchalantly. - -“And it’s coming closer!” the boy cried in terror. “Let’s go faster!” - -“Oh, this is all right; this is fine sport,” the goblin laughed, capering -about the car and gleefully rubbing his hands. - -Out over the ocean they flew—out of sight of land—out over the boundless -expanse of heaving, tossing waters. After them raced the storm, each -minute drawing a little nearer and a little nearer. It was almost upon -them! - -“Please, please let’s go faster, Fitz!” Bob screeched, dancing up and -down in an ecstacy of keen affright. - -[Illustration] - -But his shrill cry was whirled away in the tumult of rushing air that -enveloped them, and if the goblin heard, which is doubtful, he paid no -attention to his companion’s frantic plea. Then of a sudden the balloon -stopped with a smart jerk and began to whirl round and round dizzily. -Fitz Mee’s fat face went white as paper, and he let out a cry of alarm -and dismay. - -“What’s the matter, Fitz?” Bob bawled, staggering to his comrade’s side -and shouting in his ear. “What’s the matter?” - -“The lightning has magnetized the selector!” the goblin bellowed. “Look -at the needle—pointing right back toward the storm! We’re drifting right -back into it! There is nothing now to prevent it!” - -It was too true! - -Immediately they were engulfed—overwhelmed in the maelstrom of cloud -and wind and rain. They could neither see nor hear for the fury of the -elements. The balloon spun round and round like a top; the light car -jerked and swayed and shot this way and that with lightning-like and -awful suddenness. One of the small ropes supporting it broke and hung -dangling from the side. Another parted and the car sagged dangerously. -A frightful lurch and Fitz Mee was flung upon the locker, the breath -knocked out of him; another lurch, and, with a despairing scream that -sounded above the deafening tumult of the tornado, he rolled overboard -and disappeared. - -Bob threw himself into the bottom of the car, his eyes tight shut, his -palms over his ears, and lay there groaning and moaning. His comrade -was gone and he gave himself up for lost. Oh, how he wished he was safe -at home! But in the midst of the tumultuous storm and his tumultuous -thoughts a bright idea suddenly came to him. He started, he sprang to -his feet and was flung flat again. Then, shaking his head and gritting -his chattering teeth, he wriggled over to the air-tank and turned the -cock. The hiss of the escaping air was music to him. Little by little the -buffeted balloon rose, and soon it floated serenely above the zone of the -warring winds and clouds. Bob was saved! - -A little while he lay upon the floor of the car, looking at the clear sky -overhead and wondering what he was to do. Then he thought of his lost -companion, and murmured feelingly: - -“Poor old Fitz! Poor old Spasms!” - -As if in answer to his pitying words, he heard a voice calling faintly -but snappishly: - -“Bob, you rascal! Don’t you dare to call me Spasms!” - -Electrified, the boy sprang to his feet and looked all around. - -“Fitz!” he ejaculated. “But where can he be?” Then in superstitious fear: - -“He’s dead; it must be his ghost!” - -“Ghost nothing!” came the voice again, a little louder, more vigorous. -“Bob, you’re a fool!” - -“Is—is that you, Fitz?” the boy faltered in reply. - -“Of course, dunce!” - -“Well, where are you?” - -“Right down here, dummy!” - -Bob flew to the side of the car, hunkered upon the locker and peered -over. There, a few feet down, was Fitz Mee hanging to one of the broken -ropes. - -“Why—why, Fitz, what are you doing down there?” Bob asked foolishly. - -“Oh, just enjoying myself; surely you can see that,” the goblin sneered -wrathfully. “But I’ve had enough; I’m no pig. Pull me up.” - -“I don’t know whether I can or not,” Bob answered. “But reach me up your -hand; I’ll try.” - -After a deal of struggling and kicking and grunting on the part of both, -Fitz was safely aboard. - -“I thought I was a goner when I fell over,” he panted; “I just happened -to catch the rope.” Then, with unusual feeling: “And you saved us both, -Bob, by thinking to let out the air. I couldn’t have hung on, in that -storm, a minute longer; and, then the balloon was fast going to wreck. It -was my foolhardiness that caused all the trouble, and your thoughtfulness -that got us out of it. I’ll never go back on you, Bob, old boy, never! -But now the storm’s past, we must get under way again.” - -“Will the selector work?” the boy asked in some anxiety. - -“It’ll be all right, now,” the goblin assured him. “See? Off we go again. -And I’ll give her an extra turn for good speed; I’m keen to get along -toward home. It must be the middle of the forenoon.” - -For an hour or two they sailed along steadily, covering mile after mile -of aërial space with the swiftness of an arrow. At last, however, Bob -remarked: - -“Fitz, it appears to me we’re closer to the ocean than we were a while -back; we must be descending. I wonder if the rain wet the feathers in the -bag.” - -“No,” the goblin replied positively. “They can’t get wet. They, and the -bag, too, for that matter, have been treated with goose oil; and they -won’t wet.” - -“Won’t wet?” - -“No. You know a goose’s feathers never get wet, no matter how much it -goes in the water. We raise thousands of geese in Goblinland just for the -feathers and the oil to treat them and our balloon bags with. We can’t be -descending, Bob.” - -But he stepped to the side of the car and cast his eyes upward. Then -suddenly he started and collapsed upon the seat, white and trembling. - -“What is it, what’s the matter, Fitz?” the lad questioned falteringly, -fearing what the answer would be. - -“Bob,” his companion muttered hoarsely, “we are descending! We’re -lost—we’ll be drowned in the ocean! There’s a rip in the bag and the -feathers are escaping one by one!” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -IN DANGER OF THE SEA - - -Bob drew a deep breath and dropped down beside his companion. For several -minutes they sat silent, each staring stonily into the other’s white -face. At last the boy murmured huskily: - -“Fitz, are the feathers es—escaping very fast? Can’t we do something to -stop the leak?” - -The goblin shook his head. - -“Not very fast,” he said slowly, moistening his dry lips by rubbing them -together, “just one at a time.” - -“Is the rip in the bag a very big one?” - -“No.” - -Bob brightened. - -“Couldn’t we climb up some way and fix it?” he inquired. - -The goblin gave a negative shake of the head. - -“No,” he replied, “it’s ’way up near the top of the bag.” - -“Well, what’re we going to do, Fitz?” - -“There’s nothing we _can_ do, Bob. The feathers are escaping—one now and -then; and, little by little, the balloon will lose its buoyancy and sink -into the sea. We’re lost!” - -“Look here, Fitz,” Bob cried sharply. “Surely you’re not going to give up -that way. I didn’t think it of you. There must be something we can do to -save ourselves.” - -The goblin dropped his chin upon his breast and, rolling his head, -muttered: “Nothing!” - -“But,” the lad persisted, “we _must_ do something. There’s a little air -still left in the tank, and when we sink too low we can let that out, and -rise again. If we sail as fast as we can, can’t we cross the ocean before -we drop into it?” - -Fitz Mee leaped to his feet like one electrified. - -“Thank you, Bob—thank you!” he cried, grasping his companion’s hand. -“You’ve given me hope. We’ll try your project; and if we lose, we’ll have -the satisfaction of knowing we died trying!” And he set his jaws with a -resolute snap. - -“I can’t see where there’ll be much satisfaction in that for us—after -we’re dead,” the lad muttered under his breath. - -The goblin hurried to the selector, and gradually turned the thumb-screw -until the machine was wide open—the current was all on. - -The balloon instantly responded, and began to fly through the air at -a speed little short of miraculous; its two occupants had to throw -themselves prostrate and cling to the locker for safety. The still -summer air appeared to be blowing a hurricane; the placid, heaving ocean -appeared to be racing toward the west, a foaming, tossing torrent. One -by one, a few each minute, the feathers escaped through the rent in the -striped bag; and foot by foot, very slowly and very surely, the aërial -vehicle yielded to the overmastering power of gravitation. - -On, on and on they sped, reeling off miles as a watch ticks off seconds. -Neither the boy nor the goblin found anything to say. Both fully realized -that they were running a race with death, and the knowledge awed them to -silence. - -The noon hour came, and still they were flying like mad, due east. - -Fitz cautiously lifted his head, put the binocular to his eyes, and -looked away toward the south. - -“There’s the Azores,” he said, shouting in order to make himself heard, -his tone expressing relief and satisfaction. - -“The Azores?” Bob bellowed in reply. - -“Yes—the islands.” - -“Oh!” - -“Yes; we’re making good time.” - -“Well, hadn’t we better stop there?” - -“No.” - -“We’re only a few hundred feet above the water.” - -The goblin shook his big head in a decided negative. - -“Why not?” the boy insisted. - -“I’m afraid to stop there.” - -“Afraid?” - -“Yes; I’m afraid there’s no geese on those islands.” - -“Geese?” - -“Yes, we’ve got to have goose feathers to refill our balloon bag.” - -“Oh, I see! Well, what’re you going to try to do, Fitz?” - -“Going to try to make the coast of Portugal. We’ll find geese there.” - -“You’re sure?” - -“Yes; Portuguese.” - -And Fitz Mee laughed at his own pun until his fat face became purple and -his breath came and went in wheezing gasps. - -“Oh, shut up!” Bob cried angrily. “This is no time to be laughing.” - -“Laughing will do just as much good as crying, Bob,” Fitz made answer, -but instantly sobering. “I believe we’ll come out all right. There -_are_ geese in Portugal; and I think we’ll be able to make the coast of -that country. We’re making good time; and we’ve not had to exhaust the -air-tank yet. We’ll drive ahead and hope for the best.” - -One hour, two hours, three hours passed. The balloon descended so low -that the car threatened to dip into the waves. The goblin released the -remaining air in the tank, and again they soared aloft, but only a few -hundred feet. Another hour and again they were dangerously near to the -water. - -Bob cried: “Why Fitz, the sun’s ’most down! This has been an awful short -afternoon.” - -[Illustration] - -“Yes,” the goblin nodded, “and the forenoon was short, too. You must -remember we’re moving east very rapidly—running away from the sun, -running to meet the night. It’ll be dark soon. I wish we’d sight the -coast; it seems to me it’s about time we were doing so.” - -“What’s that wavy blue line ahead of us?” Bob inquired. - -“I don’t see anything,” Fitz answered. - -“I do,” the boy insisted positively. “Give me the glass.” - -“It must be land, then,” the goblin suggested. - -“It _is_ land!” Bob cried joyfully. “We’re going to be all right, Fitz.” - -“I—I hope so,” Fitz made answer; “I hope we’ll make it.” - -Warned by his companion’s tone and manner that danger was imminent, the -lad jerked the binocular from his eyes and dropped his gaze to the ocean. -One glance was sufficient; the car was threatening to dip into the water -at any moment. - -“Oh, Fitz!” the boy wailed. “What are we to do?” - -“I don’t know!” Fitz whimpered, wringing his hands and wriggling about -upon the locker. “We can’t do anything—oh, we can’t do anything! We’re -lost—lost!” - -“Look here, Fitz Mee, you old Convulsions!” Bob cried angrily. “You got -me into this thing; now you’ve got to help get me out. Wake up! You’re -playing the baby. And you called me a coward! You’re the coward! Wake -up!” roughly shaking him, “We’ve got to throw something overboard; and -I’ll throw _you_, in about a minute.” - -Just then the car hit the water a glancing spat that threw a blinding -cloud of brine over the two aëronauts. The balloon rebounded from the -impact and continued its mad speed. - -“Whee!” screamed Fitz Mee. “You’re right, Bob. We must lighten the -balloon some way; one more lick like that will tear the car loose from -the bag. Raise the lids of the locker, and throw out a lot of the old -stuff we won’t need.” - -Frantically they began to lighten ship, flinging into the sea odds and -ends of various kinds—the accumulation of many voyages. It availed -them little, however; the balloon ascended but a few feet, and skimmed -dangerously near to the water, into which it threatened to take a final -plunge at any moment. - -Now the coast line was plainly visible to the naked eye; and now it -was but a few miles away, the hills and rocks standing out distinctly. -Yet how far off it seemed to the despairing aëronauts! Neither spoke; -each held his breath and his tongue, expecting to have to make a final -struggle and swim for life. - -Lower and lower sank the balloon. Once more the car spatted the water, -and this time it did not rebound, but went tearing along at railroad -speed, deluging and almost drowning its occupants. For a few minutes the -two lost all sense of their surroundings, nearly lost consciousness. -Then the car struck the shelving, sandy shore with a smart bump, and the -balloon came to a full stop. The wild and dangerous ride was over! - -“Saved!” sputtered Fitz Mee, jumping from the car and dancing up and down. - -“Saved!” coughed Bob, indulging in similar antics. - -Then they tearfully embraced, whirling round and round, their saturated -garments dripping a circle of wet upon the yellow sands. - -The sun was gone from sight; the shades of night were stealing in upon -them. - -“We can’t do anything to-night toward resuming our voyage,” the goblin -remarked; “it’s almost dark now. Then you’re wet and weak and I’m -famished and faint. We’ll spend the hours of darkness here upon the warm -sands, and in the morning we’ll look around us.” - -“All right,” the boy agreed; “I guess that’s the best we can do.” - -By dint of a deal of tugging and grunting, they drew the balloon up out -of reach of wave and tide. Then they wrung their garments, swallowed a -number of food-tablets and drink-pellets and lay down to sleep under the -shelter of an overhanging cliff. - -The sun was an hour high when they awoke. Simultaneously they opened -their eyes and sprang to their feet. Sleep had much refreshed them; the -warm air and sand had dried their garments. After partaking of a hearty -but hasty breakfast, they began to look around them. - -At their feet lay their balloon, a sorry wreck. But close examination -made plain the fact that it could be easily repaired and put in shape. A -short distance to the north a river put into the sea. They sauntered to -the mouth of it, and took in the view of the broad fertile valley. A mile -or two up the stream lay a small village. - -“I’ll tell you what we’ve got to do, Bob,” Fitz remarked reflectively, -scratching his head. - -“Well, what?” inquired the boy. - -“We’ve got to go into that town.” - -“What for?” - -“For cord and goose feathers. We need the cord to splice the broken ropes -of our car, and we need the feathers to refill our bag.” - -“Yes,” the lad mumbled, “we need those articles all right, Fitz; but -maybe the people of the village don’t have such things.” - -“Of course they do,” the goblin sneered superiorly. - -“How do you know?” the boy said tauntingly. - -“Well, I know.” - -“No, you don’t; you just guess.” - -“A goblin never guesses at anything.” - -“I guess he does; you guessed we’d get drowned—but we didn’t.” - -“Shut up!” - -“_You_ shut up!” - -“I won’t!” - -“Neither will I!” - -Then they stood and silently glared at each other for a full half minute. -Finally both began to look foolish, and burst out laughing. - -“Fitz, you’re too hot-headed, you old Epilepsy,” Bob giggled. - -“I know it,” tittered the goblin; “but so are you, Roberty-Boberty.” - -“I know it,” the boy admitted; “but I can’t stay mad at you, Fitz.” - -“I can’t stay mad at you, either, Bob. Now let’s stop our foolishness and -go to that village, and see about the cord and feathers we need.” - -“All right. But how are we to get the things, Fitz? Have you any money?” - -“I’ve got gold; that’s just as good.” - -“Gold?” - -“Yes. Look here.” - -The goblin took a bag of yellow nuggets from his pocket and emptied them -out and shook them before the boy’s eyes. - -“Is that gold?” Bob inquired, interested and not a little excited. - -“Yes, to be sure,” Fitz Mee answered. - -“Where did you get it?” - -“In Goblinland.” - -“Is there much of it there?” - -“Bushels of it. These nuggets are as common there as pebbles are in your -country.” - -“Indeed!” the lad exclaimed, in wide-eyed wonder and admiration. “You -goblins must be mighty rich.” - -“We don’t put any value upon gold,” was the complacent reply; “we never -use it at home.” - -Bob was thoughtfully silent for some seconds. - -“What’re you thinking about?” his companion inquired with a shrewd and -cunning smile. - -“Thinking how rich I can be when I go back home,” was the a frank -admission. Then abruptly: “What’s that coming down the road yonder, Fitz?” - -[Illustration] - -“Hello!” the goblin ejaculated delightedly. “We won’t have to tramp to -the village. That’s a gooseherd. See; he has the geese tethered together -with twine and is guiding them with a crook. We’ll wait here and buy them -of him.” - -The gooseherd and his flock drew near. He was a tall, angular young man, -ragged and barefoot. His merry whistle rose above the strident quacks of -his charges, and his flat feet softly spatted the dust of the highway in -time to his own music. - -Fitz Mee stepped forward, politely lifted his cap and said in greeting: - -“Good morning, Sir Gooseherd.” - -The young man stopped in his tracks and dropped his crook and his jaw at -the same time. Plainly he was startled at the sudden appearance of the -little green sprite and his companion, and just as plainly he was greatly -frightened. - -“We desire to purchase your geese,” the goblin ventured, boldly -advancing. “How much gold will buy them?” - -The gooseherd let out a shrill yell of terror and turned and fled up the -road as fast as his long legs could carry him. The geese attempted to -flee also, but, being tethered together, became hopelessly and helplessly -entangled and fell to the ground, a flapping, quacking mass. - -Bob and Fitz laughed heartily. - -“Hurrah!” the goblin whooped. “The geese and cord are ours, anyhow.” - -“But we didn’t pay the fellow,” Bob objected. - -“I’ll fix that,” his comrade assured him. “When we’ve plucked the -feathers off the geese, I’ll tie the bag of nuggets around the neck of -one, and then we’ll turn ’em loose. The young fellow’ll find ’em and get -the gold. And now we must hurry up and get through with this job and be -off from this coast; the gooseherd may come back and bring his friends -with him.” - -The two diminutive aëronauts laboriously disentangled the geese and -drove them to the immediate vicinity of the wrecked balloon. There they -plucked the feathers off the quacking, quaking fowls, and refilled the -balloon-bag and closed the rent. Then they turned the stripped and -complaining birds loose, one meekly bearing the bag of gold; and finally -they spliced the broken ropes of the car and were ready to resume their -voyage. - -“Jump in and pump up the tank a little, Bob,” Fitz cried joyfully. “I’ll -be ready to weigh anchor when you say the word.” - -But at that moment came the patter of many feet upon the dry sand, -followed by a shower of clubs and stones that rattled about the car and -the heads of its occupants, and instantly the balloon was surrounded by a -crowd of gaping, leering villagers! - -“Captured!” groaned Fitz Mee. - -“Captured!” echoed Bob. - -The villagers began to close in upon them, brandishing rude weapons and -uttering hoarse cries of rage. - -In sheer desperation the goblin squirmed and grimaced, and ended his -ridiculous performance by uttering a blood-curdling “boo!” - -The startled villagers fell back in indecision and alarm, tumbling over -one another in frantic efforts to get out of reach of the little green -sprite. Taking instant advantage of the respite, Bob whipped out his -knife and cut the anchor rope, and with a smart jerk the balloon sprang -aloft. - -“Saved!” murmured the boy. “Saved, Fitz Mee!” - -He received no answer; and he hurriedly turned to look for his companion -who, a moment before, had been at his side. Then he sank back upon the -locker, overcome with wonder and dismay. Fitz Mee was not in the car; Bob -was alone! - - - - -CHAPTER V - -IN WHICH BOB BECOMES A GIANT - - -The balloon was rapidly rising. Bob flew to the air-tank and frantically -worked the pump. Gradually the primitive air-craft came to a stop, and -floated motionless several hundred feet above the ground. - -Then the boy hunkered upon the locker and peered over the edge of the -car. Distinctly he could hear the clamorous cries and yells of the -Portuguese; and in the center of the jeering, hooting mob, he could -barely distinguish his diminutive friend. The sudden jerk of the car had -thrown the goblin out, right among the villagers; and they were dancing -delightedly around the green little sprite, clapping their hands and -whooping themselves hoarse. - -Bob caught up the binocular and directed it toward the scene below him. -After a momentary inspection, he settled back with a sigh of partial -relief. - -“I guess they’re not going to kill him,” the boy muttered. “But I wonder -what they’ll do with him; and I wonder what’s to become of _me_.” - -Again he surveyed the scene below. The Portuguese were setting off toward -their village, bearing the kicking, screaming Fitz Mee with them. A -gigantic peasant carried the goblin in his arms. - -“I don’t know what to do,” Bob murmured, in deep perplexity; “I don’t -know what I _can_ do. I don’t know the way to Goblinland; and so I can’t -go there after help to rescue Fitz. I won’t go back home and leave him to -his fate, though; that would be mean and cowardly. I—I don’t know what -to—to do.” - -A while he sat upon the locker, silently and thoughtfully peering over -the edge of the basket, occasionally putting the binocular to his eyes. -There was not a breath of air; and the balloon hung motionless as a -fleecy summer cloud. The boy saw the peasants making their way up the -valley to the outskirts of the village, and noted the hub-bub that was -raised among the other villagers, at the advent of the goblin. Then the -whole crowd disappeared among the trees and buildings of the little -hamlet. With a start, Bob roused himself. - -“I’ve got to do _something_,” he grumbled testily to himself; “I can’t -just float here always. Poor old Spasms! I’ve got to help him out of the -fix he’s got into, someway. I don’t believe he’d go back on me—I don’t -_believe_ he would; and I won’t go back on him. But what in the world can -I do?” scratching his head and frowning. “Oh, I’d like to be a giant just -for a little while! If I wouldn’t show those Portuguese a thing or two! -I’d drop right down among ’em, lick the last one of ’em—and carry Fitz -away in the palm of my hand. Oh! but that would be fine!” And he chuckled -and wagged his head. - -Then an idea, suggested by his wish to be a giant, came to him; and he -leaped from his seat and hurried to the locker on the opposite side of -the car, and threw it open. After a momentary search, he drew forth the -hand-satchel containing the food-tablets and drink-pellets. - -“I’ll just see, anyhow,” he whispered excitedly. “If the goblins make -tablets to shrink people, maybe they make some to swell ’em up—make -giants of ’em. I’ll just see.” - -He opened the satchel and, squinting his eyes and wrinkling his brows, -commenced to mumble over the names upon the tiny bottles. - -“Food-tablets—tiger-muscle, food-tablets—lion-heart, drink-pellets—pure -water, food-tablets—fat, gob-tabs—for dwarfing purposes.” - -He grinned and shook his head. - -“I don’t want any more of those,” he grimaced; “I’m too small for any -good use now. It’s funny there isn’t any—ah! What’s this? ‘Giant-tabs—to -be used only in cases of extreme need.’ I’ll bet those are the very -things I’m looking for. I’m going to try ’em, anyhow. If there ever was a -case of extreme need, this is one.” - -He shook out one of the little tablets and was about to pop it into his -mouth, when he started suddenly and sharply and shook his head, muttering: - -“It won’t do to take it now—till I get to the ground. It might swell me -up so big my weight would overcome the buoyancy of the feathers or break -the ropes of the car; and then I’d fall like a gob of mud. I’ll have to -wait till I’m out of the balloon before I make the experiment. And it -may get me into trouble when I do take the stuff—I don’t know; it may -poison me—or swell me up so fast I’ll burst. Well, I don’t know what else -to try; so I’ve got to do it. Now I’ll just sail out over the town, the -first thing, and see if I can find out what those Portuguese have done -with Fitz—poor old chap! My! I almost wish I was out of all this mess of -trouble, and back home.” - -He set the needle of the selector as he had seen the goblin do, and gave -a slight turn to the thumb-screw; and the balloon instantly began to -move toward the village a mile or so away. When his vessel had reached -a position directly over the little town, Bob shut off the power and -brought it to a standstill. Then he took his glass and peered down among -the roofs and treetops. He saw the people congregated in the central -square of the place. It was evident they were holding some sort of public -meeting. A speaker upon an improvised platform was wildly talking and -gesticulating; and the other villagers were listening intently, mouths -agape. Bob could hear the words of the orator of the occasion, and was -surprised and pleased to learn that he could understand their meaning. -The man was saying: - -[Illustration] - -“My people, I’ve called you together here to determine what we shall do -with this strange being that has landed upon our shores. The first thing -to do, however, is to ascertain what the thing is. It’s not a man—that’s -plain; and I’d like an expression of opinion from you as to what you -consider it to be. Speak out, now.” - -“It’s a big green frog,” said one man. - -Bob smiled as he listened. - -“It’s a green parrot without feathers,” said another. - -Bob grinned. - -“It’s a green devil,” ventured a third. - -Bob chuckled. - -“It’s a green monkey,” opined a fourth. - -Bob laughed outright. - -And the peasants heard him, and cast their gaze aloft; and immediately -began to gesticulate and vociferate excitedly. - -“I’m a goblin, you fools!” croaked a familiar voice. “I’m a goblin, I -tell you!” - -Bob then saw his friend. The latter was confined in a parrot cage hanging -upon a post in front of a building. The speaker—who, it was plain, was in -authority—quieted the populace; and then he continued: - -“As you will perceive, there’s another one of the strange beings up there -in that balloon. Now, my opinion is that they’re moon-men from the moon. -As you all know, the moon’s made of green cheese; and that would account -for the color of them.” - -“But the one up there _isn’t_ green,” a woman objected; “he’s _gray_.” - -“No doubt he’s old and faded,” the speaker explained. - -Bob laughed heartily; then listened intently, for the official was saying: - -“My opinion is that these moon-men have come to bring a pestilence upon -us, my children; and if we do not rid ourselves of them, we will suffer -greatly. So I condemn them to death. This one that, by your great prowess -and bravery, you have already captured, we will execute at sunset; and -bury him with a great stone upon him, that he may know no resurrection. -The other one must be captured. We must think of some plan to entice -him within our reach. Let us adjourn to my official residence, there to -consider the grave matter.” - -Soon the street was apparently deserted; but the boy could see guards -peeping from places of concealment. - -“Bob!” Fitz Mee called softly. “Hello, Bob!” - -“Hello, Fitz!” the lad answered. - -“Come down and get me—quick!” - -“I don’t dare, Fitz; they’re watching.” - -“But you must get me out of this fix, Bob, somehow.” - -“Of course, Fitz. But how?” - -“Can’t you think of a plan? I’m so scared I _can’t_ think.” - -“I’ve thought of _one_ plan.” - -“What is it?” - -Bob gave a few strokes to the air-pump; and the balloon sank almost to -the level of the treetops. Then the boy said, cautiously: - -“Fitz, do you hear me?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, this is the plan I’ve thought of: I’ve found some giant-tabs in -your portable pantry; and I think of taking one of them.” - -“That’s the thing,” Fitz interrupted gleefully. “You’re a genius, Bob.” - -“It won’t hurt me—the medicine, will it?” - -“Not a bit.” - -“Just make a giant of me?” - -“That’s all.” - -“And I can go back to boy size or goblin size, when I want to?” - -“Yes; all you’ll have to do is to take a few gob-tabs.” - -“Ugh! more pills. Well, all right; I’ll do it, then. I’ll make a giant of -myself, and sail in and knock these Portuguese galley-west—and carry you -off.” - -“Well, do it right now,” Fitz cried impatiently. - -“I can’t.” - -“Why can’t you?” peevishly. - -“I don’t dare take the giant-tabs till I’m upon the ground, you -understand; my size would wreck the balloon. And I don’t dare to come to -the ground, right here and right now; the Portuguese would capture me -before I could do anything. See?” - -“Y-e-s,” Fitz Mee admitted, disappointment in his voice. “But what _are_ -you going to do?” - -“I’m going over the hills out of sight, drop to the ground there, and -hide the balloon, and then come back afoot.” - -“Well, don’t be very long about it, Bob.” - -“Oh! there’s no hurry. They don’t mean to kill you till sunset, Fitz.” - -“Well, do you think I want to stay cooped up here all day?” - -“You mustn’t get impatient, Fitzy,” the boy giggled. - -“You stop your laughing,” the goblin grumbled. “It isn’t funny.” - -“Isn’t it?” tauntingly. - -“No, it _isn’t_, Roberty-Boberty!” - -“Yeah—yeah! Old Epilepsy!” - -“Shut up!” - -“_You_ shut up!” - -“Say, Bob?” - -“What?” - -“You _will_ hurry, won’t you?” - -“Yes! But say, Fitz?” - -“Well?” - -“How is it that I can understand what these Portuguese say?” - -“Well, you know we goblins can understand any language.” - -“_We_ goblins?” the boy cried sharply. - -“Yes,” Fitz chuckled. - -“I’m no goblin,” Bob asserted stoutly; “I’m a Yankee.” - -“You’re a goblin—half goblin, anyhow.” - -“I’m _not_!” - -“You _are_! You’ve taken gob-tabs; and that makes you partly goblin.” - -“Fitz Mee,” the boy yelled, “you mean old thing! You say that again, and -I’ll sail off home—and leave you right where you are.” - -“I won’t _say_ it any more, Bob; but it’s _so_.” - -“Good-bye, Fitz; I’m going.” - -“Not home?” - -“No; over the hills.” - -“Well, hurry back.” - -“All right.” - -Bob released a little of the pent air in the tank, and soared high above -the earth; then he manipulated the selector and sped away over the hills -out of sight of the village. When he thought it safe, he worked the pump -and descended to the earth. There he made the balloon fast in a secluded -spot near the highway—by tying it securely to a tree, with the piece of -anchor-rope remaining. - -“There,” he breathed softly, “I’ll know where to find my air-ship; I’ll -remember the place by this big funny-looking stone here at the roadside. -Now I’ll take my medicine and be off to the rescue of my good comrade, -Fitz Mee.” - -He took one of the tiny giant-tabs and swallowed it; and immediately he -began to grow and grow—clothes and all. He stretched up, up till his head -was on a level with the tops of the smaller trees; and he spread out till -he was as big in girth as the trunks of the largest. - -“Wonderful!” he ejaculated, and his voice almost frightened him; it was -as coarse and hoarse as the roar of a lion. He looked at his hands and -feet—and laughed. They were as large as hams of meat; and his limbs were -like the great limbs of an elephant. Proudly he strode about, crooking -his arm and feeling his biceps muscle and muttering to himself: - -“Won’t I make a scatterment among those Portuguese! I’ll scare ’em all -into conniption fits. But I won’t hurt any of ’em, unless I have to; that -would be wrong, cruel—just like a big man whipping a little boy. But I -must be off; Fitz will be tired of waiting. I wonder how far I’ve got to -walk. My! but I’m _hungry_; and I want _meat_.” - -He picked up a large knotted pole for a cane and set off along the road, -whistling; and his whistle was as loud as that of a calliope. The birds -flew away in affright; and the hares and other small animals scampered -into the depths of the forest. Bob smiled complacently, recklessly -swinging his big knotted club. - -Presently he approached a hut by the roadside; and he went up to it and -knocked upon the swinging door. An old woman put in an appearance; but, -at sight of her gigantic caller, she let out a yell and fled back into -the dusky interior. - -Bob turned the corner of the cabin,—his head overtopped the comb of the -roof by several feet!—and dropped upon hands and knees and crawled into -the kitchen. The poor old woman again caught sight of him; and fled -from the premises, screaming shrilly. Bob pitied her and called to her -to come back, that he meant her no harm; but his awful bellowing voice -served only to frighten her the more. The boy-giant—or the giant-boy, or -whatever he should be called—discovered upon the table in the center of -the floor a leg of roast mutton, a loaf of black bread, a jug of milk and -some fruit; and ravenously devoured the whole. Then he retreated from the -kitchen; and, feeling much refreshed, resumed his way toward the village, -taking strides fully fifteen feet long. - -[Illustration] - -But when he had gone a short distance, he met the old woman whose food -he had eaten returning toward her home, accompanied by her husband. The -man had been at work in the fields; and now he was walking rapidly, his -head down, cracking his fists and valiantly declaring what he would do to -the bold intruder when he encountered him. Bob heard the fellow’s rash -threats, and gave a loud laugh. The man flung up his head, took one look -at the boy-giant—and incontinently took to his heels, literally dragging -his wife after him. Across the fields they flew, and disappeared in a -bit of woodland; and Bob pursued his course unmolested, still laughing -boisterously. It was all so very funny! - -[Illustration: He picked up a large knotted pole for a cane.] - -Shortly he reached the top of the hill, where he could look down upon the -little village, whose inhabitants were all unconscious of the terrible -being that was approaching it. There the boy-giant paused to consider. -Shaking his head he muttered, a grin spreading over his coarse features: - -“Well, those giant-tabs have increased my size wonderfully, but I don’t -feel that they’ve increased my courage in the same way. I’m almost afraid -to go down into that town. Those Portuguese might take it into their -heads to shoot; and I’d be such a big mark they _couldn’t_ miss me. But I -guess there’s no other way; so here goes.” - -He loped off down the hill; and a few minutes later he was entering the -village. Some children at play saw him coming and ran ahead of him, -screaming frantically. A woman came to her door, and immediately followed -the children, also yelling at the top of her voice. Several men hastily -put in an appearance; and as hastily joined the woman and children, in a -mad race toward the public square of the town. The alarm spread. Others, -and still others—of both sexes and all ages and sizes—emerged from -concealment; and sought safety in mad flight, all speeding toward one -destination, the mayor’s official residence. - -The mayor and his officers and advisors heard the hub-bub and poured -forth to ascertain the cause of it; and when the boy-giant arrived at -the town’s place of public gathering, there they all were, yelling, -screaming, shouting and gesticulating. - -Bob swung his big club and bellowed “boo! boo! boo!” as loud as he could; -and the frightened people tumbled over one another in an effort to hurry -to places of security. The mayor led the way, closely followed by his -officers. All deserted the place but one old soldier. He ran at Bob, a -rusty sword in his hand, and tried to hack the boy-giant’s legs; and the -latter had to snatch the sword away from the pugnacious old warrior and -take him across his knee and spank him soundly, before he would consent -to behave. However, when at last the boy-giant set the old fellow upon -the ground, he scampered away as fast as he could limp. - -“Oh, Bob—Bob!” Fitz Mee cried pipingly, piteously, a hint of tears in his -voice. “I’m _so_ glad you’ve come. They had just decided to execute me at -noon; and it wants only an hour of the time.” - -“A miss is as good as a mile, Fitz,” Bob laughed. “But we must get out -of here before they recover their wits and their courage, and return; -they might shoot us. My! but didn’t that old soldier want to fight? A -few like him would have given me a lot of trouble. Well, here we go—for -safety and a better country.” - -And he took the parrot cage containing the goblin under arm, and made a -hurried retreat from the village. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -LOST IN THE DESERT - - -As Bob moved rapidly along the country road, bearing his comrade in -the parrot cage, he could hear the sounds of clamor and pursuit behind -him—the barking of dogs, the confused shouting and yelling of men, and -the booming and cracking of fire-arms. - -“Hurry, Bob, hurry!” squeaked Fitz Mee. “They’re after us!” - -[Illustration] - -“Yes, but their legs are too short,” Bob chuckled; “they won’t catch us. -Don’t you worry, my teenty-weenty green frog, the naughty men shan’t hurt -you.” And he held the parrot cage up in front of him, and with his finger -playfully poked Fitz Mee in the ribs. - -“Quit that!” croaked the goblin. “And don’t you call me a green frog any -more, either.” - -“Pretty little green monkey, that’s what it is!” Bob laughed, teasingly. - -“Shut up!” snapped Fitz. - -“Nice little green devil!” the boy-giant continued, shaking with laughter. - -“Shut up!” screeched the goblin. “Shut up, I say! I’ll scratch you; I’ll -bite you!” - -“Sweet-tempered little green moon-man!” Bob persisted. - -“Look here, Bob Taylor!” Fitz cried, vexed and desperate. “If you don’t -quit calling me names, I’ll—I’ll run off and leave you.” - -“All right,” the boy-giant returned placidly, “I’ll just set you down -here in the road and let you run off.” - -And he suited his action to his words. - -“Oh, don’t, please don’t, Bob!” Fitz Mee pleaded, almost in tears. “Let -me out of this cage, and take me up and go ahead. And don’t plague me -any more, just because you’re so big and so strong. It isn’t like you, -Bob—to be so cruel. I don’t like you as a giant; I’d rather have you as a -goblin—as a boy, I mean—and I’ll be glad when you’re back in that state -again.” - -“Maybe I won’t be a boy or a goblin any more,” Bob remarked thoughtfully, -as he released his companion and took him up in his arms; “maybe I’ll -just remain a giant. I rather like being a giant; I don’t have to take -pills when I’m a giant. I can eat meat and things.” - -“But you can’t go in the balloon, as a giant,” Fitz Mee suggested. - -“No, that’s so. Well, maybe I won’t go in it any more; maybe you don’t -want me to.” - -“You know I do, Bob.” - -“Sure?” - -“Of course! Aren’t we on our way to Goblinland, to have the time of our -lives—hey?” shrewdly. - -“Well, I’ll go back to the form of a goblin, then, Fitz; but—ugh!—I don’t -like the _pills_!” - -They topped the hill and reached the hut where Bob had taken the old -woman’s dinner. He told the goblin what he had done, and the goblin -chuckled and spluttered in great glee. The boy-giant shook him and said -to him: - -“Have you any more gold about you?” - -“A little,” the green sprite made reply. “Why?” - -“I want it.” - -“What for?” - -“To pay that old woman for the dinner I ate.” - -“Well, you can’t have it.” - -“I can’t?” - -“No, you can’t!” - -“Why can’t I?” - -“It’s _my_ gold, not _yours_.” - -“I know, Fitz; but you’ll let me have it.” - -“_Will_ I? Not much, Roberty-Boberty!” - -“Take care!” Bob cried, giving the tiny fellow a threatening shake. -“Remember I’m a giant right now, and liable to lose my temper. And don’t -you call me any more names, I warn you. Now, hand over that gold.” - -“You’re a robber, that’s what you are, Rob Taylor,” the goblin complained -sullenly, fumbling in his pocket for the gold demanded. - -“And you’re a mischievous, ill-tempered little pest,” Bob laughed. - -At last, with apparent reluctance, the goblin dropped two or three -nuggets into the boy-giant’s broad palm. - -“There!” he muttered. “But I don’t see what you want to pay the old woman -for.” - -“Because it’s _right_ to pay her,” Bob explained; “I took her dinner.” - -“Oh!” giggling. - -“Yes, sir. And you _know_ it’s right, Fitz; you’re just plaguing me.” - -“Think so?”—laughing. “Well, pay her. But hurry up about it; I hear our -pursuers coming. You’ll fool around and get us trapped, if you don’t look -sharp.” - -“Here!” Bob cried, dropping the goblin to the ground and returning the -gold to him. “You go to the door and pay her. If she sees me, she’ll run -away again. Go on; I’ll hide.” - -[Illustration] - -With the words he stepped aside among the trees that bordered the road; -and the goblin ran to the door of the hut and kicked upon it. There was -silence in the cabin for several moments; then the door screaked on its -hinges and slowly swung open. The old man and old woman were both there; -but as soon as they caught sight of the green little being, they were -more frightened than they had been at sight of the giant. With a great -flirting of skirts and shaking of trousers, they leaped right over the -goblin’s head and sped away to the fields again, yelling lustily. Fitz -Mee rolled upon the ground, laughing immoderately; and Bob joined in his -companion’s merriment. However, he called to him: - -“Throw the gold upon the floor—and come on; they’ll find it, if they -ever pluck up courage to come back to their house. Come on; we’ve got to -hurry.” - -The boy-giant caught up his wee comrade and ran as fast as he could -toward the place where he had hid the balloon. The sounds of pursuit were -close behind them. Into the woods Bob dashed and crashed; and soon he -stood beside the air-vessel. - -“Open the satchel and get me a gob-tab—quick!” he bellowed to Fitz, -tossing him into the basket. - -“A gob-tab?” squeaked Fitz. - -“Yes—quick!” - -“_One_ won’t do you any good.” - -“Huh!” - -“No; you’ll have to take a half-dozen. Here they are.” - -“Have I got to swallow all those pills?” - -“Yes, down ’em—and be nimble about it.” - -“Well, I _won’t_!” - -“Now, Bob!” coaxingly. - -“I won’t!” stubbornly. “You _know_ I don’t like pills!” - -“Bob, you’ll get us into trouble.” - -“I don’t care. I’d rather get into trouble than have trouble get into me; -and that’s what pills are—trouble.” - -Just then came a loud rattling and crashing of the underbrush; and a -large number of men and boys and dogs burst into the little open space -and surrounded the two adventurers. - -“Surrender!” cried the mayor. - -“Get out!” roared the boy-giant in answer. And he set into kicking the -too inquisitive dogs and cuffing the too venturesome men in a strenuous -manner that made them fall back to a respectful distance—and in a great -hurry. - -“Untie the balloon!” Bob bawled to his companion. “And give me those -gob-tabs!” - -Fitz Mee did as directed. - -“Boo! boo! boo!” roared the boy-giant, leaping and dancing awkwardly -about. - -“At ’em again!” commanded the mayor. “But don’t shoot; capture ’em alive!” - -Again men and boys and dogs began to close in upon the aëronauts. Fitz -Mee signalled that the balloon was in readiness. Bob clapped the six -gob-tabs into his mouth and hastily swallowed them—making a ridiculously -grotesque face that caused his enemies to hesitate in their advance upon -him. Then he tried to let out another startling “boo.” It started off all -right, big and coarse and awful; but it ended in a tiny dribbling squeak -that was so funny that the goblin dropped to the bottom of the car, -squirming and laughing. Bob had suddenly shrunk to goblin size. - -“A miracle!” cried the mayor, crossing himself and retreating. - -“A miracle!” seconded his people, following his example. - -Taking advantage of the momentary respite in his favor, Bob jumped into -the car. Fitz released the air; and away the balloon soared—up through -the treetops—to the fleecy clouds far, far above the earth. Cries and -wails of disappointment and chagrin followed the daring aëronauts. - -“Saved again!” yelled Bob. - -“Saved again!” croaked Fitz. - -“They came near catching us!” the boy panted. - -“Yes, and it was all your fault,” the goblin grumbled. - -“How do you make that out?” Bob cried sharply. - -“Why, you wouldn’t take the gob-tabs, and that delayed us—that’s how,” -Fitz Mee retorted. - -“Yes, and _you_ lay down and laughed in the old woman’s door-yard; and -that delayed us, too.” - -“It didn’t!” - -“It did!” - -“It _didn’t_, I say!” - -“It _did_, I say!” - -“Bob, you’re a contrary boy, that’s what _you_ are!” - -“And, Fitz, you’re a stubborn goblin, that’s what _you_ are!” - -Then they sat upon the locker and glared at each other—and burst out -laughing. - -“Well, we got away, anyhow,” Fitz said. - -“That’s what we did,” Bob replied. - -“Let’s be off.” - -“All right.” - -“Here’s for Goblinland!” waving his arms. - -“Hurrah!” waving his cap. - -Fitz began to manipulate the selector. - -“You haven’t set that needle right,” the boy objected. - -“Huh?”—sharply. - -“No, you haven’t.” - -“Why haven’t I?” - -“Goblinland’s east from here, isn’t it?” - -“Of course.” - -“Well, you’ve set that needle pointing west.” - -“I haven’t.” - -“You have, too.” - -“Why, Bob, the sun rises in the east, doesn’t it?” - -“To be sure.” - -“Well?” - -“Well, it’s afternoon now, and the sun’s in the west; and you’ve set the -indicator pointing straight toward it.” - -“I tell you it’s forenoon; and the sun’s in the east.” - -“Fitz, you’re _wrong_.” - -“Bob, I’m _not_.” - -“You’ll _see_.” - -“_You’ll_ see.” - -“Fitz Mee, you don’t know anything.” - -“Bob Taylor, I know everything.” - -“_Yes_, you do!” - -“I _do_!” - -“Bah!” the boy sneered. “You didn’t know enough to loose the latch of a -parrot cage and let yourself out.” - -“And _you_ didn’t know enough to take gob-tabs when you needed ’em.” - -“Yeah!” - -“Yeah!” - -Both remained sullenly silent for some seconds. Then Bob said grumblingly: - -“All right, Fitz Mee, have your way. You’ll see, though.” - -The goblin made no reply; he simply turned the thumb-screw of the -selector, and the balloon sailed away upon its course rapidly and -gracefully. Presently, however, Fitz gave a start and muttered: - -“Why, we’re out over the water again; and we ought to be crossing the -mountains. I wonder what’s the matter—eh, Bob?” - -“Oh! there’s nothing the matter,” snickered Bob, “except we’re going -west, as I told you—going back to America.” - -[Illustration] - -“Bob, I—I guess you’re right,” Fitz admitted, reluctantly. - -“Of course I’m right,” the boy said, swelling with supreme -self-satisfaction. - -“Well,” muttered the goblin, “we can turn around and go the other way; -and we _will_.” - -With that he again began to busy himself with the selector. But in a -moment he mumbled peevishly: - -“Why—why, what’s the matter with this thing?” - -“What?” the boy inquired. - -“The needle won’t turn at all, Bob.” - -“It won’t?” stooping to examine. - -“No, it won’t. See?” - -“Yes. What do you suppose ails it?” - -“I don’t know.” - -“Don’t you understand your own machinery, Fitz Mee of Goblinland?” -teasingly. - -“Yes, I do—when a certain boy from Yankeeland hasn’t meddled with it,” -crossly. - -“Oh!” - -“Yes.” - -“You think I hurt your old machine?” - -“I _know_ you did—in some way.” - -“Fitz Mee, I wish I’d left you in the hands of the Portuguese.” - -“No, you don’t.” - -“I _do_!” - -“Now, Bob!” - -“Well, what did you say I spoiled the selector for?” - -“I didn’t mean you did it on purpose, Bob.” - -“Didn’t you?” - -“No; I just meant you did it by accident. It’s a very delicate -instrument, you know.” - -“Oh!” - -“Yes. Well, it’s done and can’t be helped. It appears that I’ve set the -indicator west instead of east, so west we must go. It’ll be a longer -journey, but who cares! We’ll sail right back across America and over the -Pacific. I’ll open her up and let her fly.” - -He gave a turn or two to the thumb-screw; and the balloon shot forward—at -the speed of a comet, almost. The two aëronauts dropped flat upon the -floor of the car and remained silent, for the uproar occasioned by their -rapid passage through the air prevented conversation. Soon, however, the -mercurial boy grew restless; and he cautiously drew himself up across -the locker and peeped over the edge of the basket. The goblin caught his -venturesome companion by the heels and attempted to draw him back; but -Bob wriggled and gesticulated, pointing downward over the rim of the -basket, and finally grabbed Fitz by the arm and pulled him up on to the -locker. The goblin took one peep; then rolled to the bottom of the car, -and tightened the thumb-screw and gradually brought the balloon to a -standstill. - -“We’re over the land again,” Bob gasped. - -“Yes,” panted Fitz Mee, climbing to his comrade’s side. - -“Well, what does it mean? We haven’t reached America already, have we?” - -The goblin shook his head, frowning in a puzzled way. - -“Well, where are we, then?” - -“I don’t know.” - -“Fitz, we’re lost.” - -“I guess we are, Bob.” - -The boy took up the binocular and looked all around. - -“Why!” he exclaimed. “There’s a city ’way back yonder on the coast, an -odd-looking city like the pictures in my geography; and there’s nothing -out there ahead of us but sand—sand—sand, as far as I can see.” - -“Huh!” snorted Fitz Mee. - -Then he rolled to the floor of the car, laughing immoderately and holding -his sides and kicking up his heels. - -“Look here!” the boy cried angrily. “What’s the matter with you, old -Convulsions? What’s so funny, I’d like to know?” - -“Why—why, Bob,” Fitz said, getting upon his feet and wiping his pop eyes -upon the long tails of his coat, “we’re a pair of precious ninnies. We’ve -been traveling south all the time—instead of east as I thought, or west -as you thought. And here we are in Africa. We’ve crossed the narrow part -of the Mediterranean; and we’re now in the southern edge of Morocco—right -over the Sahara desert!” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -FITZ MEE MAGNETIZES THE SPRING - - -Bob looked very sober, and said nothing; and Fitz continued: - -“So you see we were both wrong; we forgot that the sun is south at -noon—that’s all. Isn’t it funny?” and again the goblin laughed. - -“I don’t think it very funny,” the boy replied, pouting his lips, and -looking very glum. - -“You don’t?” - -“No, I don’t.” - -“Why don’t you?” - -“Because here we are in the desert—away south of where we ought to -be; and the selector won’t work, and we can’t go back—can’t go in -any direction but south. If we keep on, we’ll just come to the south -pole—that’s all.” - -“Say!” the goblin cried. “I never thought of that, Bob. That’s so; and -we’re in a fix, sure.” Then, after wrinkling his forehead and blinking -thoughtfully for a few moments: “Well, there’s just one thing to do: -we’ve got to fix the selector—got to find out what ails it and set it -right. We’ll travel on till we come to an oasis; and there we’ll descend -to the ground, and I’ll tinker the machine.” - -“Why can’t you do it here and now?” Bob suggested. - -“I’m afraid I might get us into worse trouble, Bob; might shake the thing -up in some way that would cause it to run away with us. It’s tricky -sometimes. No, I’ll wait till we come to an oasis; then I’ll work at it -on the ground.” - -“All right. And I’ll work my teeth upon some ripe dates and any other -fruit I can find.” - -“That reminds me, Bob,”—setting the balloon in motion,—“that we haven’t -had any dinner; and it’s getting late in the afternoon. Why didn’t you -mention that you were getting hungry?” - -“Oh! I’m not _very_ hungry; you know I had a big meal that I got from the -old woman’s table. But you haven’t eaten anything since morning, have -you, Fitz?” - -“No, but I’ll eat now as we go along; and you can join me.” - -“Oh, _can_ I?” contemptuously. - -“Certainly.” - -“You’re very kind.” - -“Aren’t you hungry?” - -“Not hungry enough to take pills.” - -“Bob, I tell you they’re _not_ pills; they’re food tablets.” - -“They’re pills all the same, Fitz; and I won’t take ’em when I can get -anything else. And I think I’ll find some fruit when we reach an oasis.” - -The goblin said no more; but silently opened the hand-satchel, and took -out and swallowed a number of the tiny tablets and pellets, smacking his -lips in a manner that made his companion turn up his nose in disgust. - -The sun was slowly sinking in the west. Bob had the binocular to his eyes -and was sweeping the southern horizon. Suddenly he cried: - -“Look! Look, Fitz! We’re coming to a great city!” - -The goblin smiled pityingly, wagging his head and rolling his eyes. - -“Don’t you see it?” the boy asked eagerly. - -The goblin nodded, still smiling. Bob leveled his glass upon the distant -city and continued to observe it. It was a most beautiful sight, that -city. It stood upon the bank of a blue lake; and its white walls, its -domes and spires, glistened in the rays of the declining sun. But -gradually it began to fade away; and little by little it disappeared from -view. - -“Why—why,” the boy cried, “what’s become of it, Fitz? I can’t see it any -more. What’s become of it?” - -“Don’t you know?” the goblin snickered. - -“No.” - -“You didn’t see any city, Bob.” - -“I know I _did_! Think I can’t _see_?” - -“Yes, you can see; but you didn’t see any city.” - -“What did I see, then?” - -“A mirage.” - -“Oh!” - -“You know what I mean?” - -“Yes. Was that all it was?” - -“That was all.” - -“Well, it was beautiful, anyway. And there’s another one—a lot of grass -and green trees this time.” - -“That’s an oasis.” - -“Maybe it’s just another mirage.” - -“No, it’s an oasis. See! It’s getting closer and clearer all the time. -There’s where we’ll stop.” - -The swift speed of their air-vessel soon brought them to the green -oasis. There they descended to the earth, pumped the tank full of air, -and firmly secured the balloon to a tree. Then Fitz set about to repair -the selector, and Bob began to search for fruit. The boy was successful -in his quest and soon returned to his comrade, his cap full of luscious -dates. The goblin was sitting upon the ground, his back against the side -of the basket, apparently glum and half asleep. - -“Have some, Fitz,” the boy mumbled, his mouth full of fruit, offering a -share to his companion. Fitz drowsily shook his head. - -“Did you get the selector fixed?” Bob inquired. - -The goblin nodded, batting his eyes. - -“I—I _guess_ I’ve got it fixed,” he said. - -“What was the matter with it?” - -“I don’t know, Bob. I never had a selector act like this one does; I’m -afraid it’s permanently magnetized.” - -“Why, what would put it in that condition, Fitz?” - -“Oh! I don’t know, I guess.” - -“Yes, you do. Out with it.” - -“I don’t want to scare you, Bob, but—” - -[Illustration] - -“Scare me? Pooh! Out with it.” - -“Well, down here in Africa somewhere—I don’t know just where—there’s a -magnetic mountain; and we goblins have had trouble with it. Whenever we -get within the zone of its power with our balloons, it magnetizes our -selectors so they won’t work right; and if we get too close, it draws us -to it—and we have great trouble in getting away. Some of my countrymen -have had to abandon their balloons and walk miles and miles, and then -send a wireless message home for help.” - -“Is that _so_?”—mouth agape. - -“Yes, indeed.” - -“And you think that’s what ails our selector?” - -“I’m afraid it is.” - -“Well, what’re we going to do about it?” - -“There’s very little we _can_ do—if that’s what’s the matter with our -machine. It seems to be all right now; but you must remember we’re on the -ground, with other mountains between us and the magnetic peak—breaking -its power, as it were. Probably when we’re high in the air again, we’ll -encounter the old difficulty.” - -“Then we’d better sail as close to the earth as we can, Fitz, till we’re -beyond the influence of that strange mountain.” - -“That’s a good idea, Bob; I’d already thought of it. And, as the sun’s -almost down and we’ll need to see our way when travelling close to the -ground, I think we’d better spend the night here, don’t you?” - -“Yes. But—but say, Fitz!” - -“What?” - -“If you need to send a wireless phone message to Goblinland, how do you -do it?” - -Fitz Mee silently drew from his pocket a small shiny metallic box, and -opened it. It contained a tiny telephone instrument, perfect in every -detail—speaking-tube, receiver and all. - -“My!” the boy exclaimed in admiration and wonder. “Isn’t it pretty and -isn’t it little! But how do you use it, Fitz?” - -“Just like you use any telephone,” the goblin replied complacently. - -“Do you take down that teenty-weenty little receiver and call up central -in Goblinland?” - -“Yes.” - -“And central gives you whatever number you want?” - -The goblin nodded. - -“Say!” the boy cried excitedly. “Call up some one right now, Fitz.” - -The goblin shook his head. - -“Yes,” Bob insisted; “I want to see how it works.” - -“I don’t dare to.” - -“Don’t _dare_ to?” - -“No.” - -“Why?” - -“There’s a law against using the instrument, except for messages of grave -importance.” - -“Oh!” - -“Uh-huh.” - -Fitz Mee closed the little box and returned it to his pocket; Bob resumed -the munching of his ripe fruit. - -“Won’t you have some, Fitz?” he suggested, temptingly displaying it to -the goblin’s gaze. - -“Uk-uh!” Fitz grunted. - -“Better try some; it’s fine.” - -“It would make me sick.” - -“Pshaw!”—incredulously, contemptuously. - -“I’m afraid it would; I’m afraid it will make _you_ sick.” - -“Me?” - -“Yes.” - -“Huh! Fruit never makes _me_ sick; I can eat bushels of it.” - -“You mean you _could_.” - -“What?” - -“You could—when you were a boy.” - -“Well?” - -“Well, you’re part goblin now.” - -“Well, I’m _not_!” - -“You’ll see, Bob.” - -“Well, I _will_ see; I’ll eat this fruit and prove to you, Fitzy, that -I’m just a healthy boy.” - -“All right,” the goblin grinned. - -Bob finished his fruit—to the last date. Then he went to the great spring -near at hand, and lay down and drank his fill. He set out to return to -his comrade; but suddenly he became so ill that he dropped upon the -ground and rolled and writhed and groaned. Fitz came flying to him. - -“Here, Bob,” he said quietly, “take this,” offering the wriggling boy a -tablet. - -“Oh! pills! pills! pills!” Bob moaned. But he took the tablet and downed -it; and soon he was relieved of the fruit—and his pain. Sheepishly he got -on his feet and sauntered back to the balloon, crestfallen and subdued. -All Fitz Mee said to him was: - -“I guess you’ll know enough to stick to goblin diet after this.” - -And Bob made no reply. - -The sun had gone down; dusky shadows were gathering from far and near and -throwing themselves prone upon the desert sands. The air, that all the -afternoon had been so hot, was growing chill. - -“I’m sleepy,” Bob remarked, dropping upon the warm earth and stretching -full length. - -“Well, you mustn’t go to sleep there,” Fitz replied. - -“Why?” the boy queried. - -“You’ll see why when it grows a little darker. Wild beasts will be -prowling around here, after food and water.” - -“They will?” raising himself upon his elbow and glancing apprehensively -around. - -“Yes, indeed,” the goblin answered. - -“Lions?” - -“Yes.” - -“Leopards?” - -“Uh-huh.” - -“And hyenas and jackals?” - -The goblin nodded. - -“Well, where are we going to sleep, then?” - -“We’ll let the balloon rise to the level of the tops of these palm trees, -tie it there, and sleep in the car.” - -“That’ll do. But I’ll bet we don’t get much sleep; the wild animals will -raise such a rumpus, roaring and howling and fighting. Won’t they?” - -“It’s likely.” - -“Dear—dear! I wish I was back home.” - -“No, you don’t, Bob.” - -“I do, too. You promised to take me to Goblinland where everything was to -be lovely; and you’ve got me away down here in the Sahara desert where -there’s nothing but sand and wild beasts. And you’ve got me in such a fix -I can’t eat a little fruit, even, without getting sick; and now I’m to -have no sleep. Bah!” - -“That’s all that ails you, Bob.” - -“What?” - -“You’re sleepy—and cross.” - -“I’m not cross.” - -“Well—well, we won’t argue the matter.” - -“I’ll argue if I want to, old Epilepsy.” - -“Say, Bob,”—pleasantly. - -No reply. - -“Bob.” - -“Huh!”—ungraciously. - -“I think I know what we can do to send the wild animals about their -business if they bother us.” - -“What?”—with a show of interest. - -“That is,” with a reflective shake of the head, “if we didn’t throw -overboard, when we were about to sink in the Atlantic, the stuff we need.” - -“What is it, Fitz?” - -“Magnetic powder.” - -“There’s a bottle of it in the locker; I saw it there this morning. But -what on earth are you going to do with it?” - -“I’ll tell you. I’m going to sprinkle some of it in the spring; and it’ll -magnetize the water. Then any animal that comes for a drink will get -a shock that will stir up its ideas—and send it flying. Won’t that be -great?” - -“Great?” Bob cried, capering about in glee. “Yes, indeed, Fitz! And -won’t it be funny to hear ’em and see ’em? I’m not a bit sleepy now. -Let’s fix the spring right now.” - -Soon they had magnetized the spring, and had snuggled down in the car of -their balloon, to spend the night. By that time it was quite dark; so -they partook of a few food-tablets and drink-pellets, and then composed -themselves to rest—out of reach of any beast that might come prowling -around. Bob dropped into a doze. A roar like distant, muttering thunder -roused him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes; then he nudged his sleeping -companion. - -“Huh!” ejaculated Fitz, waking with a start. - -“I heard something roaring—sounded like thunder,” the boy explained. - -“Where?” - -“I don’t know; I wasn’t wide enough awake to tell. There—there it goes -again.” - -“That’s a lion out on the sands,” chuckled the goblin; “he’s coming for a -drink. Now the fun’ll begin, Bob.” - -“And listen! What are those other sounds, Fitz?” - -“Jackals barking and hyenas howling. They’re all coming at once. There’ll -be a circus when they gather at the spring.” - -The two aëronauts giggled and shrugged their shoulders, in nervous but -delicious expectancy. The moon made the night almost as light as day; -but soon great dark shapes and shadows were to be seen approaching the -oasis, from various directions. The lion roared defiantly, the jackals -barked snappishly and the hyenas howled dolefully. - -“I see the lion,” Bob whispered excitedly. “There! He’s just coming in -among the trees. But what’s that other animal creeping along away out -there in the bright moonlight?” - -“A leopard,” Fitz replied. - -“And that pack of little fellows are jackals?” - -“Yes.” - -“And those ugly scrawny ones are hyenas?” - -“Yes.” - -“Oh, my!” the boy exclaimed gleefully. “Talk about a circus, Fitz; _I_ -call it a menagerie. This is a free show; and you and I have box seats.” -Then thoughtfully, and with a little shiver, “And I’m mighty glad we -have—and right above the ring. I—” - -He was interrupted by a roar that seemed to shake the slender fronds of -the palm trees and rock the balloon. The lion was directly beneath them, -smelling over the ground where they had been. The two small comrades -cuddled close together upon the locker, held each other’s hands, and -strained their eyes and ears to see and hear all that was going on. -Presently the leopard, too, was among the trees and, like the lion, was -nosing from one spot to another; and the jackals and hyenas had ranged -themselves along the border of the little oasis, and were indulging in a -discordant serenade. - -“Ugh!” the boy grunted in disgust. “Those cowardly things out there make -me lonesome with their mournful sounds.” - -[Illustration] - -“Me, too,” the goblin admitted, nodding. Then he whispered sharply: -“There—there, Bob. The lion’s going to the spring. See him in that patch -of moonlight?” - -“Yes.” - -“And now he’s right at the edge of the water. See him—see him?” - -“Uh—huh. And there’s the leopard coming up on the other side.” - -The lion advanced majestically to the edge of the pool. He looked askance -at his slender cousin, the leopard; and then he touched his nose to -the clear water. Instantly he sprang backward, bristling, sneezing and -shaking his head, in surprise and anger. The leopard looked on in wonder -at her cousin’s strange behavior; and the lion glared fiercely at her. -The two aëronauts hugged each other and laughed softly. - -Again the lion essayed to slake his burning thirst at the glassy pool; -and again he retreated in rage and confusion. Attributing his trouble to -the leopard, evidently, he made a vicious slap at her with his great paw. -She sprang aside, spitting and snarling. The lion pursued her; and, to -escape, she sprang upon the slender trunk of the palm tree to whose top -the balloon was tied, and began a nimble and quick ascent. - -“Oo—h!” Bob gasped. - -“Murder!” croaked Fitz Mee. - -Then, instantly, he jumped from the locker; and opened and shut the valve -of the air-tank, three or four times in quick succession. - -“Pst! pst! pst!” hissed the escaping air, and the leopard, more alarmed -at the unknown danger above than at the known danger below, gave a yowl -of fright and leaped to the ground and loped out of sight. - -Bob heaved a sigh of relief. “Fitz,” he whispered, “playing with wild -beasts is like playing with fire; a fellow’s likely to burn his fingers.” - -The goblin nodded; then he jerked out: - -“But look at the lion! Bob, look at the lion!” - -The noble animal was not content to go without a drink; and once more he -was drawing near the spring, cautiously, slowly. A third time his nose -and tongue touched the water; and a third time he sprang back, startled -and enraged. And this time he rashly spatted the surface of the pool with -his paw, and let out a hoarse roar of futile rage, as the treacherous -liquid sent a stream of electricity tingling through his anatomy. - -The two aëronauts were hunkered upon the locker, leaning far over the rim -of the basket and laughing heartily but softly. On a sudden the goblin’s -hands slipped and he fell headlong from the car—turning completely over -in mid air and lighting plump astride the lion’s back! - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE BALLOONISTS ENCOUNTER ARABS - - -Fitz Mee let out a frantic yell as he descended; Bob echoed it. “I’m a -goner!” squeaked the goblin as he alighted on the lion’s back. - -“Goner!” screamed the boy, in unison. - -The lion, no doubt coupling the sudden arrival of the little green sprite -with the unusual condition of the spring he had always known, went mad -with fright. He stuck his tail between his hind legs, gave a snort, -followed by a prolonged and doleful whine, and scampered away among the -trees and across the sands of the desert, the goblin clinging to his mane. - -“Oh, dear—dear!” moaned the boy. “What am I to do? What _can_ I do? -Poor old Fitz Mee! Poor old Convulsions! The lion’ll shake him off out -there—and—and eat him up! And I can’t help him! I don’t dare to go to his -aid; the other beasts would eat _me_! Was ever a boy in such a pickle! -Oh, I wish I was back home! I do—I do! I was a fool to come on such a -wild adventurous trip, anyhow! Poor old Fitz Mee! Poor old Epilepsy! -Gone! Lost! And here I am down here in the desert—with miles of trackless -sands all around me; and with no means of getting away—except an old -balky balloon! Oh, dear—dear!” - -He wrung his hands and wept. At last, however, he muttered sleepily: -“Poor unlucky old Fitz! He’s always getting into trouble and danger; he’s -always tumbling out of the balloon. I’ve rescued him two or three times; -but I can’t go on rescuing him every few hours. He’ll have to look out -for himself this time; I can’t do anything for him. And,”—yawning,—“I’m -so—so sleepy. I’ve just got to—sleep; that’s all—all—there is—” - -He sank upon the bottom of the car and lost all sense of his surroundings. - -“Bob! Oh, Bob!” Someone was calling him—someone in the far distance, he -thought. - -“Huh!” ever so drowsily. - -“Bob! Bob Taylor! Wake up!” - -“Hel—hello!” the boy grunted. - -“Here! Wake up, you lazy pest! Do you hear me? Ah-hah! Do you _feel_ me?” - -“Ouch!”—petulantly—“Quit! Quit, I say!” - -Someone was twitching and pinching the lad’s ear. He stirred, opened his -eyes, flounced over upon his stomach and raised his head. There stood the -Little Green Goblin of Goblinville, grinning down at him. - -“Fitz!” the boy cried, springing to his feet and holding out his hand. - -“Fitz Mee!” - -The goblin continued to grin and bat his pop eyes—saucily, perversely. -Daylight was just breaking. - -“When—when did you get back?” Bob inquired, embarrassed by his comrade’s -manner. - -“Just got back, my friend,” Fitz croaked hoarsely; “and a time I’ve had -getting you awake. I called and called from the ground, but you slept -on. So I had to climb the tree; and then yell at you—and yell again and -again, and shake you, and pinch you. You must have been greatly worried -over my disappearance and danger! Oh, yes! Sure! You couldn’t sleep at -all, you were so worried!” - -“Fitz, I _was_ worried,” the boy replied sheepishly. - -“Of course!” the goblin sneered. “That’s what I _said_—you were so -worried you couldn’t _sleep_!” - -“You may say what you please,” Bob insisted, “but I was worried—worried -like everything. I thought I’d never see you again.” - -“And no doubt you searched for me, seeking to rescue me from my perilous -position!” Fitz continued sarcastically. “Why, to be sure you did! Oh, -my!—yes, indeed!” - -“No, I didn’t hunt for you,” Bob returned thickly, a hint of tears in his -voice. - -“You didn’t?” snappishly. - -“No.” - -“Well, _why_ didn’t you—huh?” - -“How could I, Fitz, with wild beasts all around me?” - -[Illustration] - -“Well,”—crustily,—“maybe there wasn’t wild beasts all around me! Hey, Bob -Taylor!” - -“You’re unreasonable, Fitz!” angry now. “Of course, you were in danger. -But what would have been the use of my rushing into danger when I -couldn’t help you a bit by doing it? I couldn’t whip all those wild -animals and snatch you away from them. Now, could I?” - -“No, I suppose you couldn’t,”—sullenly and rather reluctantly admitting -the truth. “But it did make me _mad_, Bob, to find you sleeping so -comfortably and soundly after the terrible time I’ve had.” - -“Did you have a bad time, Fitz?” - -“Did I? Well, I rather _guess_ I did!” - -“How far did the lion carry you?” - -“About a hundred miles.” - -“Oh, not that far!” - -“How do you know, smarty? _You_ weren’t there!” - -“Well—well! Maybe he did. But why didn’t you stop him before he went so -far?” - -“Stop him! Bob Taylor, I just wish you’d have to take a ride on a lion -once! Stop him! I _did_ try to. I yelled and yelled at him to stop; but -he just went the faster.” - -“Well, why didn’t you let loose and roll off, then?” - -“Just because I _couldn’t_—that’s why.” - -“You _couldn’t_?” - -“No, I _couldn’t_!” irritably. - -“Why?” - -“Why? Bob, you’re foolish! Just because he went so fast I was afraid to -let loose—afraid the fall might hurt me.” - -Bob laughed. - -“Laugh!” muttered Fitz, gritting his teeth. “You think you’re smart!” - -“But how did you get off? How did you get away from the lion?” the boy -suggested. - -“He stumbled and fell—and threw me off.” - -“Oh!” - -“Uh-huh.” - -“Well, didn’t he try to eat you up, then?” - -“Eat me up? No, he was dead.” - -“Dead?” - -“That’s what I said.” - -“Why, what killed him?” - -“I don’t know; I didn’t stop to find out.” - -“What do you _think_ killed him?” - -“I think he just ran himself to death.” - -“Oh, Fitz!” - -“Or he was scared to death.” - -“Take care!” - -“Or died from heart disease.” - -“Fitz Mee, you’re yarning to me; you’ve been yarning to me about your -adventure all the way through.” - -“Look here!” Fitz cried, grinning impishly. “Wasn’t I on the lion’s back -the last you saw of me?” - -“Yes.” - -“And wasn’t he carrying me off across the sands?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, haven’t I come back alive—without a hurt or scratch?” - -“Yes, I guess so.” - -“Well, then, you’ve no good reason to doubt my story. And, Bob, I can -tell you something else—something that _will_ surprise you and test your -credulity.” - -“Let’s hear it.” - -“How did I get back here—from a hundred miles away, do you suppose?” - -“I’ve no idea.” - -“I fell in with a caravan of Arabs, and they brought me.” - -“What!” - -“Yes.” - -“Where are the Arabs now?” - -“Right out there. See ’em?” - -Bob looked in the direction indicated. There, sure enough, was a number -of Arabs with horses and camels rapidly approaching the oasis. - -The boy turned to his companion and murmured reproachfully: “Fitz, you’re -a big story-teller—that’s what _you_ are. Just now you happened to see -those Arabs, and you put them into your story. You’ve been spinning a big -yarn to me. I’ll bet the lion didn’t carry you but a short distance out -on the sands; then you came to your senses, got over your surprise, and -rolled off and made your way back. I believe you’ve been here ever since -shortly after I went to sleep. Now, haven’t you?” - -Fitz Mee grinned broadly; but would make no reply to the charge. Instead, -he said: - -“Bob, we’d better be getting away from here. Those Arabs have been -travelling all night, taking advantage of the cool air; and now they’ll -spend the hot hours of the day under the trees of this oasis near this -spring.” - -“My!” Bob ejaculated sharply. - -“What?” his companion asked, in keen concern. - -“I was just thinking about the spring—about its being charged with -electricity.” - -“Whew!” whistled the goblin. “I hadn’t thought of that. We’d better get -away from here before those Arabs discover what we’ve done to the spring, -Bob. They’ll be mad when they find out; and they might shoot us with the -long guns they carry. Sh! There comes one with a camel now.” - -[Illustration] - -The two aëronauts kept perfectly quiet. The Arab swiftly approached the -spring, leading his camel and hugging an empty waterskin to his breast. -The beast of burden tried to get at the tempting water, and its owner -tried to keep it back, scolding and jerking at the halter-rope. But the -camel succeeded in touching the water with its nose; and immediately -it surged backward, coughing and shivering. The Arab, in an effort to -control the frightened animal, chanced to set his foot in the edge of the -pool. Then he gave a startled yell and danced about on one leg, grimacing -and grunting. The whole thing was so funny that Bob could not restrain -a snort of laughter. The Arab cast his gaze aloft. Then he yelled -louder than before, dropped the halter-rope, and sped away to tell his -companions of his wonderful experience and discovery. - -“You’ve played the mischief, Bob!” Fitz Mee grumbled, but grinning in -spite of himself. “Untie that rope; let’s get out of here.” - -The boy was prompt to obey. Fitz released the air; and the balloon began -to rise slowly, steadily, floating out over the shining sands. At that -moment, however, the whole band of Arabs put in an appearance at the -edge of the oasis; and, with shouts and imprecations, raised their guns -and fired at the rising air-ship. The bullets whistled around the two -adventurers, causing them to drop precipitately to the bottom of the car. - -“You hurt, Bob?” Fitz inquired. - -“No. You?” - -“No.” - -“Bully!” - -“That’s what _I_ say!” - -“But, Fitz, that was a close shave.” - -“Too close for comfort.” - -“Look here! One bullet went through the basket.” - -“Yes and look there! Another one went through the balloon-bag.” - -“They didn’t do any harm, though—eh?” - -“No.” - -“I’m glad they didn’t. And now I want to get out of this country; I’m -tired of it.” - -“So am I. And I’ll set the needle north-east, for Goblinville; and away -we’ll go. Hurrah!” - -“Hurrah!” the boy echoed. - -“Well—well!” the goblin mumbled irritably, fumbling at the selector. - -“What’s the matter _now_, Fitz?” Bob cried impatiently, stooping to -ascertain the cause of his companion’s exclamatory remark. - -“The selector’s out of fix again, Bob. The needle won’t point any way but -south.” - -“And—and, Fitz!” - -“Huh!” springing erect. - -“See how fast we’re going directly south.” - -“Yes,” nodding gravely, “and there’s hardly any power at all turned on.” - -“Shut it all off, Fitz.” - -“I will,” croaked the goblin. And he did so. Still the balloon slowly -drifted southward. - -“What are we to do, Fitz?” - -“Indeed I don’t know,” the little green fellow answered dejectedly. - -“We’re going faster again.” - -“I see.” - -“Well, we’ve got to do some—” The boy broke off abruptly; then cried in -great excitement: “Look! Look, Fitz!” - -“What?” screeched Fitz Mee, nervously dancing up and down. “What? Where?” - -“A mountain!” yelled Bob. “See it? Away to the south! A big shiny -mountain!” - -“Yes!” moaned the goblin. “And that’s what’s drawing us!” He cast a -despairing look behind them. - -“Why—why,” he jerked out, “Bob, the Arabs are following us!” - -“Oh, dear—dear!” muttered the boy. “Now we _are_ lost!” - -“We don’t dare to stop,” Fitz whimpered; “the Arabs’ll get us!” - -“And we don’t dare to go ahead,” Bob whined; “we’ll fly against the side -of that mountain and burst ourselves all to pieces!” - -“Oh, dear!” groaned the goblin. - -“Oh, dear!” moaned the boy. - -“Bob!” - -“What, Fitz?” - -“Which would you rather—be eaten up by the Arabs, or bursted up by the -mountain?” - -“Why, _neither_, you silly old thing!” pettishly. - -“We’ve got to choose, Bob.” - -“Well, we _haven’t!_” - -“What else can we do, Bob?” - -“I know!” brightly. “An idea has just come to me, Fitz.” - -“Oh! what is it, Bob?” joyfully. - -“You’ll see—in time. Stop the balloon.” - -“Bob, I _can’t_ stop it!” - -“That’s so. Well, pump up the tank and send the balloon to the ground.” - -“It’ll spill us out, Bob, at the rate we’re going.” - -“Let it spill!”—recklessly. - -“All right! Here goes!” - -Fitz worked industriously at the pump; and the air-ship began to drop -swiftly. Soon it was within a few feet of the ground, flying along -rapidly. - -“Hold on to the car when it strikes,” Bob cautioned his companion, “or -the balloon, relieved of our weight, will fly up—and away from us.” - -“I understand,” Fitz replied. - -Bump! The car struck the earth, throwing its occupants sprawling; but -they hung on. Bump! Bump! Then it dragged along the sand for some -distance; and at last came to a stop. - -“Pump the air-tank up good and tight, Fitz,” Bob commanded; “we don’t -want to lose our air-ship and be left out here in the desert.” - -“But the Arabs’ll get us, anyhow,” Fitz complained disconsolately. “There -they come—only a few miles away!” - -“Let ’em come!” the boy cried gleefully. “They’ll be sorry! Let me have -that hand-satchel.” - -“But what’re you going to _do_, Bob?” - -“Just wait and _see_!” was the tantalizing answer. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -A WIRELESS MESSAGE TO HEADQUARTERS - - -The goblin silently handed the small black satchel to his comrade. The -boy opened it and took out two of the tiny bottles, remarking as he did -so: - -“I—I rather hate to do it; but I’ve got to—we’ve got to save ourselves.” - -“But what do you mean to do, Bob?” his companion insisted. “Tell -me—before the Arabs get here.” - -The boy silently shook a few tablets into his palm from each of the two -bottles. Then he queried: - -“Fitz, does the—the effect of these tablets—these gob-tabs—last forever? -Tell me the truth.” - -“The effect lasts as long as the person eats goblin diet, Bob. That’s the -reason I’ve insisted on your eating nothing else. See?” - -“Uh-huh.” - -“Well, now what’re you going to do?” - -“Going to give those Arabs some gob-tabs.” - -“How are you going to get them to take the gobs?” asked the little green -sprite, grinning broadly. - -“You just watch me and see,” Bob replied complacently; “and do whatever I -tell you to do.” - -[Illustration] - -“All right. But you’ve got some giant-tabs there, too. What are you going -to do with those?” - -“You’ll see. Hist! Here come the Arabs. Now, don’t you hesitate to do -what I tell you, Fitz.” - -“I won’t, Bob.” - -The Arabs, some on horses and others on camels, came galloping to the -spot, raising a great cloud of sand. They formed in a circle round the -two diminutive aëronauts and their balloon; and dismounted and stood -silently, sullenly scowling. - -At last the sheik of the tribe advanced and said: - -“You two are devils. You’ve poisoned the spring where we drink and -refresh ourselves and our beasts. You must die; we’re going to kill you.” - -Bob replied composedly: “Great sheik, we are magicians, not devils. We -worked enchantment upon the spring, but did not poison it. As soon as -the sun shines a few hours, the waters of the spring will again be pure -and sweet—purer and sweeter than ever before. To convince you that we’re -magicians, we’re ready to perform before you. See! I will make a giant of -my green comrade.” - -The boy gave a giant-tab to the goblin and motioned him to swallow it. -Unhesitatingly Fitz obeyed; and almost immediately he grew and swelled -to gigantic size. With gestures and cries of amazement the Arabs drew -back. Several of them touched their foreheads and muttered strange words; -others prostrated themselves and hid their faces upon their extended -arms. But the fierce old sheik gave no sign of wonder or fear. Instead, -he said firmly, boldly: - -“Devils can work magic upon devils; but devils cannot work magic upon -Allah’s elect. I’ll put you to the test; and if you fail,—as you -will!—you die. Give me and my children of your magic medicine.” - -At a word from their sheik, the Arabs formed a line. Then the fierce old -warrior of the desert said: - -“My children, these devils cannot injure you with their magic medicine. -If they succeed in making giants of us, we shall then be able to overcome -all our enemies; if they fail, we shall be as we are—and the devils -shall die.” Then to Bob: “Give us of your devil drugs.” - -The boy stepped forward and dropped a gob-tab into the outstretched palm -of each warrior. The sheik gave a signal; and twenty red mouths flew open -and twenty gob-tabs disappeared. At the same moment Bob took a giant-tab. -And a few minutes later two giants stood triumphantly grinning down upon -twenty bearded and turbaned pygmies! - -“Now, sheik,” Bob roared briskly and cheerily, “no doubt you’re convinced -that we’re what we claim to be—great magicians. But we don’t mean to work -you any injury, now that we’re big and you’re small; although you meant -to put us to death, just because _you_ were big and _we_ were small. -You’ll come back to your natural size all right, in a few days. And we’re -not going to rob you; just going to borrow two of your camels.” - -The sheik had stood silently staring at his diminutive warriors and -inspecting his own shrunken limbs. But now he piped shrilly: - -“Allah is great! Allah is great! But what use can you have for our -camels? You are so huge that they cannot bear you!” - -“Say!” Bob muttered in consternation. “Fitz, that’s a fact. What are we -to do? I meant to take two of the camels to carry us and our balloon out -of reach of the power of the magnetic mountain. What are we to do?” - -[Illustration: Two giants stood triumphantly grinning down upon twenty -pygmies.] - -“I don’t know,” the goblin-giant grumbled surlily. - -“Well, can’t you think of some plan?” - -“You’re the one, Roberty-Boberty, that’s making the plans this time.” And -Fitz Mee grinned a grin that made his big fat face look simply awful. - -“I know,” Bob admitted ruefully. “But won’t you help a fellow out, when -he’s doing the best he can?” - -“Say, Bob!” - -“What?”—eagerly, expectantly. - -“I’ll tell you what! We’ll have to take gob-tabs and go back to goblin -size. Then the camels can carry us.” - -“Yes, but we couldn’t manage the camels—couldn’t get on ’em, even,” the -boy-giant objected. “Could we?” - -“I’m afraid we couldn’t,” the goblin-giant admitted, shaking his head. “I -hadn’t thought of that.” - -“Oh, dear!” groaned Bob. - -“Oh, dear!” seconded Fitz. - -“Say!” squeaked the old sheik, looking up at the two giants. “What are we -Arabs to do? We are so small we cannot mount and manage our beasts.” - -“I don’t know,” rumbled Bob. - -“And _I_ don’t know,” mumbled Fitz. - -“Well, you’re a nice pair of magicians—_you_ are!” screeched the sheik, -pulling at his long beard. “Don’t you know anything you can do to help us -out of our quandary?” - -Each giant sadly shook his big head. - -“Well,” the old sheik screeched, “I know what you’ve _got_ to do—you’ve -got to give our beasts some of your magic medicine, and shrink ’em.” - -“Oh!” Bob ejaculated. - -“Oh!” Fitz exclaimed. - -“That’s a good idea,” the boy-giant remarked. - -“A splendid idea,” the goblin-giant agreed. - -“And we can give giant-tabs to the two camels we’re going to use,” Bob -suggested. - -“Of course we can,” Fitz assented. - -“Well, here goes!” - -The two giants went to work. After repeated trials they succeeded in -getting the camels and horses to swallow the magic medicine. All those -animals to whom they gave gob-tabs shrunk to pygmy size; and the two -camels to whom they administered giant-tabs grew to giant size. Then the -old sheik and his bearded warriors, looking very dejected and forlorn, -got upon their tiny beasts and rode away over the sands. - -Bob and Fitz lashed their balloon upon the back of one of the giant -camels, and mounted and set out toward the north. All that day they -traveled and far into the night, the great desert animals covering the -ground rapidly. At last they stopped at an oasis; and there rested until -morning. Then they tested the selector of the balloon and, to their -unbounded delight, found it in perfect working order. They had got beyond -the influence of the magnetic mountain. - -“Now,” said Bob, “we’ll take some gob-tabs and give some to the camels; -then we’ll be all ready to take to the air again.” - -They carried out the plan thus expressed. When they were once more ready -to embark upon the tenuous tide of the air, Fitz Mee remarked: - -“Now, I’ll telephone to Goblinland that we’re coming, that we’ll arrive -there to-morrow.” He drew forth his wireless telephone, rang the tiny -bell, and waited. Bob stood at his comrade’s side, alertly observant. -Presently he saw the goblin give a start and heard him saying: - -“Hello! Hello! Is this Goblinland? It is, you say? All right. This is -Fitz Mee. Yes, Fitz Mee. _Yes_, the Little Green Goblin. Uh-huh. Well, -give me the mayor’s office. Yes—_yes_! the mayor’s office.” - -There was a momentary pause; and then: - -“Hello! Is this the mayor’s office in Goblinland? What? Huh? Is this the -mayor’s office in Goblinland, I say? You can’t hear me? Well, I can’t -hear _you_. I want to know if this is the mayor’s office in Goblinland. -You say it is? Huh? Oh! All right. Well, is the mayor there? How’s that? -Well, I want to speak to him, please.” - -Another momentary pause; and then: - -“Hello! _Hel_-lo, Hel-_lo_! Is this his honor, the mayor of Goblinland? -It is? How’s that? It _isn’t_? How’s that? What? Huh?” Bob began to -snicker. “Oh! All right. Well, mayor, this is Fitz Mee. Fitz Mee, I say. -No—_no_! Fitz Mee. _No!_ Not _Swiss cheese!_”—Bob laughed outright; and -the goblin scowled darkly. “F-i-t-z M-e-e, Fitz Mee. Oh! You understand -now, do you? Well, I’ve got the boy. Yes. Why, I’ve been delayed by -storms and misadventures. Yes. Yes, bad storms. We’ll get in to-morrow -morning, I think. Hey? I—I know; but I hope your honor will pardon—what? -Well, mayor, you don’t know what an awful time I’ve had with this boy.” -Bob rolled upon the ground and roared. “Well, I’m very sorry. You’ll -_what_—your honor? Please don’t say _that_! Oh! _don’t_ say that!” The -goblin’s face had gone white, Bob observed; and the boy wondered what was -the matter. “Yes, to—morrow morning. Good-bye.” - -Fitz Mee rang off, returned the instrument to his pocket, and dropped -upon the ground, pale and panting. - -“What is it, what’s the matter, Fitz?” Bob inquired kindly. - -The goblin drew his knees up to his chin and rolled his pop eyes and -waggled his big head; but made no answer. - -“What is it?” the boy repeated. - -Fitz moaned, but made no other reply. - -“Tell me,” Bob insisted. - -The goblin shook his head. - -“I don’t dare to, Bob,” he said. - -“Why don’t you?” - -“I just don’t—that’s all.” - -“Well, let’s be off. I’m anxious to get back home.” - -“Back home?” springing nimbly to his feet. - -“Yes.” - -“Back _home_!” - -“That’s what I said.” - -“But, Bob, you’re not going back home.” - -[Illustration] - -“But I am.” - -“I say you’re _not_!” - -“And I say I _am_!” - -“Bob, you _can’t_!” - -“Fitz, I _can_!” - -“You _shan’t_!” - -“I _will_!” - -“You’re a spoiled, stubborn boy, Roberty-Boberty Taylor.” - -“And you’re a contrary old goblin, Mr. Epilepsy Spasms Convulsions Fitz -Mee. Now!” - -“Bob, you ought to be ashamed to call a comrade naughty names.” - -“I _am_; but you called me names first.” - -“I know I did; and I’m sorry. But, Bob, why do you desire to go back -home?” - -“Because I’m tired of being _away_ from home; because I’m tired of -adventure.” - -“But you haven’t seen Goblinland yet.” - -“I don’t care; I don’t want to see it, I—I guess.” - -“Yes, you do. And you must go with me, Bob.” - -“Why must I?” - -“Because.” - -“Well, because what?” - -“I hate to tell you.” - -“Yes, tell me.” - -“Because my head will come off, if you don’t.” - -Bob started. - -“Is that what the mayor told you?” he inquired. “Is that what made you -turn so pale?” - -The goblin nodded gravely; and said: “Yes, he said if I didn’t have you -in Goblinland by to-morrow forenoon, he’d have my head cut off.” - -“Why, he’s a cruel old tyrant!” the boy cried hotly. - -“No, he isn’t,” the goblin protested; “he has to do what he said he’d -do. It’s the law, you know; the law that when one agrees to do a certain -thing by a certain time, he must do it or suffer death.” - -“Well, such a fool law!” Bob muttered testily. “I don’t want to go to a -country that has such laws; and I won’t.” - -“Bob, remember—if you don’t go with me, I’ll be killed.” - -The boy was silent for some moments. Then he said: - -“Well, Fitz, I’ll go with you—to save your life; but I wish I hadn’t come -with you at all.” - -A few minutes later they were again off for Goblinland. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ARRIVED IN GOBLINLAND - - -All that day and all that night the two daring adventurers traveled -steadily and directly north-eastward, and at the dawn of the next -day they were floating high over western China. The air was thin and -penetrating and both were shivering with cold. - -Fitz Mee, standing upon the locker and watching the sunrise through the -binocular, observed: - -“We’re almost to our journey’s end, Bob.” - -“Almost to Goblinland?” the boy queried. - -“Yes; I can see it.” - -“Where—where?” Bob cried eagerly, mounting to his comrade’s side. - -“See that mountain top a little to the left yonder?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, that’s Goblinland.” - -“Oo—h!” Bob muttered. “It must be a pretty cold place to live.” And his -teeth chattered sympathetically at the thought. - -“No, it isn’t,” the goblin assured him. “You see Goblinland is really the -crater of a volcano.” - -“The crater of a volcano?” said Bob, in mild consternation. - -“Yes,” Fitz laughed. “But you needn’t be alarmed, Bob; it’s an extinct -volcano. Still the crust over it is so thin that the ground is always -warm and the climate mild. Now we’re getting right over the place. -Release the selector and pump up the air-tank; and we’ll soon cast anchor -in port.” - -As they slowly descended Bob swept his eyes here and there, greedily -taking in the scene. Goblinland was indeed the crater of an immense -ancient volcano. The great pit was several miles in diameter and several -hundred feet in depth, walled in by perpendicular cliffs of shiny, -black, volcanic rock. Through the middle of this natural amphitheater -ran a clear mountain brook; and on either side of the stream, near the -center of the plain, were the rows of tiny stone houses constituting -Goblinville. Shining white roadways wound here and there, graceful little -bridges spanned the brook, and groves of green trees and beds of blooming -flowers were everywhere. - -“How beautiful!” Bob exclaimed involuntarily. - -“Yes,” the goblin nodded, his eyes upon the village below, “to me, at -least; it’s my home.” - -“I know now why you goblins always travel in balloons,” the lad remarked; -“you can’t get out of your country in any other way.” - -Again Fitz Mee nodded absent-mindedly. Then he said: “My people are out -to welcome us, Bob. Look down there in the public square.” - -The boy did as directed. “What a lot of ’em, Fitz!” he tittered -gleefully. “And what bright-colored clothes they wear—red and green and -blue and all colors!” - -“Yes,” Fitz Mee answered. Then, after a momentary pause: “The mayor will -be present to greet us, Bob. He’ll make a speech; and you must be very -polite and respectful. See them waving at us—and hear them cheering!” - -A few minutes later the balloon had touched the earth and eager hands had -grasped the anchor-rope. - -“Hello! Hello, Fitz Mee! Welcome home, Fitz Mee!” were the hearty -greetings that arose on all sides. - -Fitz Mee stepped to the ground, bowing and smiling, and Bob silently -followed his example. The balloon was dragged away and the populace -closed in upon the new arrivals, elbowing and jostling one another and -chuckling and cackling immoderately. - -“Shake!” they cried. “Give us a wag of your paw, Fitz Mee! Shake, Bob -Taylor!” - -There were goblins great and goblins small, goblins short and goblins -tall; goblins fat and goblins lean, goblins red and goblins green; -goblins young and goblins old, goblins timid, goblins bold; goblins dark -and goblins fair—goblins, goblins everywhere! - -Bob was much amused at their cries and antics and just a little -frightened at their exuberant friendliness. Fitz Mee shook hands with all -comers, and chuckled and giggled good-naturedly. - -“Out of the way!” blustered a hoarse voice. “Out of the way for his -honor, the mayor!” - -A squad of rotund and husky goblins, in blue police uniforms and -armed with maces, came forcing in their way through the packed crowd. -Immediately behind them was the mayor, a pursy, wrinkled old fellow -wearing a long robe of purple velvet. The officers cleared a space for -him, and he advanced and said pompously: - -[Illustration] - -“Welcome, Fitz Mee, known the world over as the Little Green Goblin of -Goblinville. I proclaim you the bravest, if not the speediest, messenger -and minister Goblinland has ever known. Again, welcome home; and welcome -to your friend and comrade, Master Robert Taylor of Yankeeland. I trust -that he will find his stay among us pleasant, and that he will in no way -cause us to regret that we have made the experiment of admitting a human -being—and a boy at that!—to the sacred precincts of Goblinville. The -freedom of the country and the keys of the city shall be his. Once more, -a sincere and cordial welcome.” - -Then to the officers: “Disperse the populace, and two of you escort the -Honorable Fitz Mee and his companion to their dwelling-place, that they -may seek the rest they greatly need after so arduous a journey.” - -The officers promptly and energetically carried out the orders of their -chief. - -When Fitz and Bob were alone in the former’s house, the latter remarked: - -“Fitz, I believe I’ll like to live in Goblinville.” - -“I—I hope you will, Bob,” was the rather disappointing reply. - -“Hope I will? Don’t you think I will, Fitz?” - -“I don’t know; boys are curious animals.” - -“Well, I think I will. You know you said I could do as I pleased here.” - -“Yes.” - -“Say, Fitz?” - -“Well.” - -“How does it come that you goblins speak my language?” - -“We speak any language—all languages.” - -“You do?” - -“Yes.” - -“Why, how do you learn so many?” - -“We don’t have to learn ’em; we just know ’em naturally—as we know -everything else we know at all.” - -“My, that’s great! You don’t have to go to school, not study, nor -anything, do you?” - -“No.” - -“I wish I was a goblin.” - -“But you’re not,” laughed Fitz Mee; “and you never will be.” - -“But I’ll be a man some day, and that will be better.” - -“Maybe you will.” - -“Maybe?” - -“You’ll never be a man if you stay in Goblinland.” - -“I won’t?” - -“No.” - -“Won’t I ever grow any?” - -“Not as long as you stay in Goblinland—and eat our kind of food.” - -“Well, I’ll get older, and then I’ll be a man, or a goblin, or -something—won’t I?” - -“You’ll still be a boy.” - -“Pshaw!” Bob pouted. “I don’t like that. You told me I could be what I -pleased in Goblinland.” - -“No, I didn’t,” Fitz Mee returned quietly but firmly. “I told you that in -our country boys—meaning goblin boys, of course—were compelled to do what -pleased them and were not permitted to do what pleased others. That law -or custom is still in effect; and you, as a human boy, will be subject to -it.” - -“And I can do anything that pleases me?” - -“You can’t do anything else.” - -“Good!” Bob shouted gleefully. “I guess I’ll like Goblinland all right; -and I don’t care if I do stay a boy. Am I the first human boy that ever -got into your country, Fitz?” - -“You’re the first human being of any kind that ever set foot in -Goblinland.” - -“Is that so? Well, I’ll try not to make your people sorry you brought me -here, Fitz.” - -“That’s all right, Bob,” his companion made reply, a little dejectedly, -the boy thought. “And what would you like to do first—now that you are in -a land that is absolutely new to you?” - -“Fitz, I’d like to take a good long sleep.” - -“That would please you?” - -“Yes, indeed.” - -“More than anything else, for the present?” - -“Yes.” - -“All right. Off to bed you go. You’ll find a couch in the next room. Go -in there and tumble down.” - -“I will pretty soon.” - -“But you must go now.” - -“Must go now? Why?” - -“Because it’s the law in Goblinland that a boy shall do what he -pleases—and at once.” - -“Well, I won’t go to bed till I get ready, Fitz.” - -“You don’t mean to defy the law, do you, Bob?” - -“Doggone such an old law!” the lad muttered peevishly. - -Fitz Mee giggled and held his sides and rocked to and fro. - -“What’s the matter of you, anyhow?” Bob cried crossly. - -His comrade continued to laugh, his knees drawn up to his chin, his fat -face convulsed. - -“Old Giggle-box!” the boy stormed. “You think you’re smart—making fun of -me.” - -Fitz Mee grew grave at once. - -“Bob,” he said soberly, “you’ll get into trouble, and you’ll get me into -trouble.” - -“I don’t care.” - -“Go to bed at once, that’s a good boy.” - -“I won’t do it.” - -Just then the outer door opened and a uniformed officer stepped into the -room. - -“His honor, the mayor, begs me to say,” he gravely announced, “that as -Master Robert Taylor has said that he would be pleased to sleep, he must -go to sleep—and at once. His honor trusts that Master Taylor will respect -and obey the law of the land, without further warning.” - -The officer bowed and turned and left the house. - -“Well, I declare!” Bob gasped, completely taken aback. “What kind of a -country is this, anyhow?” - -Fitz Mee tumbled to the floor, and rolled and roared. - -[Illustration] - -The ludicrousness of the situation appealed to the fun-loving Bob, and he -joined in his companion’s merriment. Together they wallowed and kicked -upon the floor, prodding each other in the ribs and indulging in other -rude antics indicative of their exuberant glee. - -When they had their laugh out Bob remarked: - -“Well, I’ll go to bed, Fitz, just to obey the law; but I don’t suppose I -can snooze a bit.” - -Contrary to his expectations, however, the lad, really wearier than he -realized, soon fell asleep. He slept through the day and far into the -hours of darkness; and it was almost dawn of the next day when he awoke. -He quietly arose and began to inspect his surroundings. A soft white -radiance flooded the room. He drew aside the window-blind and peeped out. -Darkness reigned, but bright lights twinkled here and there. He dropped -the blind and again turned his attention to the things within. - -“I wonder if Fitz is awake,” he mumbled; “I’m hungry. I suppose he slept -on the couch in the next room. I wonder where all this brightness comes -from; I don’t see a lamp of any kind. Huh! It comes from that funny -little black thing on the stand there. What kind of lamp can it be—hey?” - -He walked over and looked at the strange object—a small perforated -cone, from the many holes of which the white light streamed. Noticing a -projecting button near the top of the black cone, he made hold to touch -it and give it a slight turn. Instantly the holes had closed and the room -was in darkness. He turned the button back again; and the holes were open -and the room was light as day. - -“Well, that beats _me_!” muttered Bob. “It looks like an electric light; -but I don’t see any wires. There aren’t any wires. I must find Fitz and -learn about this thing.” - -He peeped into the adjoining room, which was in darkness, and called: - -“Fitz! Oh, Fitz! Are you asleep, Fitz?” - -“Huh?” was the startled reply. “Yes—no, I guess so—I guess not, I mean.” - -Bob laughed. - -“Well, get up and come in here,” he said. - -“Why, it isn’t morning yet,” the goblin objected. - -“I’ve had my sleep out, anyhow.” - -“_I_ haven’t.” - -“Well, get up and come in here, won’t you?” - -“I suppose I might as well,” grumbled Fitz; “you won’t let me sleep any -more.” - -Then, appearing in the doorway and rubbing his pop eyes and blinking: -“Now, what do you want?” - -“First, I want to know what kind of a light this is,” indicating the -little black cone. - -“Why, it’s an electric light, of course,” Fitz Mee made answer, in a tone -that showed his wonder and surprise that Bob should ask such a question. - -“I don’t see how it can be, I don’t see any wires.” - -“Wires?” chuckled Fitz. “We don’t need any wires.” - -“Well, where does the electricity come from, then?” - -“From the bug under the cone.” - -“The bug?” - -“Yes, the electric firefly. Didn’t you ever see one?” - -Bob shook his head—half in negation, half in incredulity. - -“Well, I guess they’re peculiar to Goblinland, then,” Fitz went on, -grinning impishly. “We raise them here by thousands and use them for -lighting purposes. The electric firefly is a great bug. Like the electric -eel, it gives one a shock if he touches it; and like the ordinary -firefly, it sheds light—but electric light, and very bright. I’ll show -you.” He gingerly lifted the perforated cone. - -There lay a bug, sure enough, a bug about the size of a hickory-nut, and -so scintillant, so bright, that the eye could hardly gaze upon it. - -“And this is the only kind of light you have in Goblinland, Fitz?” the -boy asked. - -“Yes. We light our houses, our streets, our factories, our mines, -everything with them.” - -“Wonderful!” Bob exclaimed. “And what do you do for fire, for heat?” - -“We don’t need heat for our dwellings. Owing to the fact that our -country is protected from all cold winds by the high cliffs around it, -and that the earth crust is thin over the fires of the volcano below, the -temperature remains about eighty the year round. Then, we don’t cook any -crude, nasty food, as you humans do; so—” - -“No, you live on pills,” Bob interjected, in a tone of scorn and disgust. -“Bah!” - -“So,” Fitz Mee went on smoothly, unheeding his comrade’s splenetic -interruption, “all we need heat for is in running our factories. For that -we bore down to the internal fire of the earth.” - -“Well—well!” Bob ejaculated. “You do?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, where are your factories, Fitz? I didn’t see anything that looked -like factories when we got out of the balloon.” - -“They’re all in caverns hewed in the cliffs.” - -“And the fire you use comes from ’way down in the ground?” - -“Yes.” - -“And you light your factories with electric fireflies?” - -The goblin gravely nodded. Bob was thoughtfully silent for a moment; then -he remarked: - -“It must be awfully hot work in your factories—the men shut up in caves, -and no fresh air.” - -“We have plenty of fresh air in our works,” Fitz hastened to make plain; -“we have large funnel-shaped tubes running up to the mountain-tops. The -cold wind pours down through them, and we can turn it on or off at our -pleasure.” - -“Say!” Bob cried. - -“What?” queried his companion. - -“I’d like to go through your factories.” - -“You mean what you say, Bob?” - -“Mean what I say?” said Bob, in surprise bordering on indignation. “Of -course I do.” - -“That you’d like to go through our factories?” - -“Certainly. Why not?” - -“When do you want to make the—the experiment—the effort?” - -“To-day—right away, soon as we’ve had something to eat.” - -“All right, Bob,”—with a smile and a shake of the head,—“but—” - -“But what?” - -“Nothing. We’ll have breakfast and be off. It’s coming daylight, and the -factories will be running full blast in an hour from now.” - -“More pills for breakfast, I reckon,” Bob grumbled surlily. - -“More tablets and pellets,” Fitz Mee grinned, rubbing his hands together -and rolling his pop eyes. - -“Huh!” the boy grunted ungraciously. “I wish you folks cooked and ate -food like civilized people. I’m getting tired of nothing but pills. I -can’t stand it very long—that’s all.” - -“You’ll get used to it,” the goblin said, consolingly. - -“Used to it!” the boy snorted angrily. “Yes, I’ll get used to it like -the old man’s cow got used to living on sawdust; about the time she was -getting used to it she died.” But he accepted the pellets and tablets his -companion offered him, and meekly swallowed them. Then they caught up -their caps and left the house. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -IN THE LAND WHERE YOU DO AS YOU PLEASE - - -Bob and his comrade went straight to the mayor’s office; and to that -august official Fitz Mee said: - -“Your honor, Master Taylor wishes to go through our factories.” - -“So I’ve heard,” the mayor answered grimly, “but could hardly credit my -ears.” Then to Bob: “Master Taylor, is this true that I hear: that you -desire to go through our factories?” - -“Yes, sir,” Bob replied respectfully but sturdily, rather wondering, -however, why such an ado should be made over so small a matter. - -“Very well, Fitz Mee,” said the mayor to that worthy, “I’ll depend upon -you to see that Master Taylor goes through our factories; and I’ll hold -you responsible for any trouble that may arise. Here’s your permit.” - -When the two were out of the mayor’s presence and on their way to the -factories, Bob remarked: - -“Fitz, how did the mayor learn that I want to go through your -machine-shops and places?” - -“He heard us talking.” - -“Heard us talking?” - -“Yes. There’s a wireless telephone instrument in the room where we were, -an automatic one that catches every sound.” - -“Oh!” - -“Yes.” - -“And what did the mayor mean by saying he’d hold you responsible for any -trouble that might arise?” - -“Oh, nothing—nothing!” Fitz Mee answered hastily and grumpily. - -The boy questioned his companion no further, and soon they crossed one of -the picturesque bridges spanning the brook, ascended a long, gentle slope -to the base of the black cliffs, and stood before a wide, nail-studded -door. To the officers on guard Fitz Mee presented the mayor’s permit. The -guard deliberately and carefully read the slip of paper, then he lifted -his brows, drew down the corners of his mouth and grunted pompously: - -“Fitz Mee, you’re aware of the import of this official document, are you?” - -Fitz Mee nodded gravely, grimly, and Bob looked from one to the other in -silent wonder. - -[Illustration: Bob and his comrade went straight to the mayor’s office.] - -The guard went on: “This permit of his honor, the mayor, says that not -only is Master Robert Taylor, the friend and comrade of the honorable -Fitz Mee, hereby permitted to go through our factories, but by the same -token is _compelled_ to go through them, this being his expressed desire -and pleasure; and that the honorable Fitz Mee shall be held responsible -for any trouble that may thereby arise. That’s all right, is it, Fitz -Mee?” - -[Illustration] - -“It’s all right,” Fitz Mee muttered sullenly, but determinedly. - -“Pass in,” said the officer, unbolting the door and dragging it open. - -As soon as the two had stepped over the sill, the door was slammed shut -behind them, and Bob heard the great bolts shot into place—and shuddered -in spite of himself. On each side of him were smooth, solid walls of -rock: ahead of him stretched a dusky corridor dimly lighted with electric -fireflies suspended here and there. The dull rumble of distant machinery -came to his ears; the faint smell of smoke and sulphurous fumes greeted -him. - -“Fitz?” the lad said to his comrade, who stood silent at his side. - -The goblin simply gave the speaker a look in reply. - -“Fitz,” Bob continued, “what’s the meaning of all this talk about my -going through the factories? What’s the matter, anyhow?” - -“Nothing—nothing!” Fitz murmured hoarsely, shiftily gazing here and there. - -“Yes, there is,” the boy insisted. “Why do you all emphasize the word -‘through’?” - -“Why—why,” Fitz stammered, rubbing his nose and blinking his pop eyes, -“we thought maybe you didn’t mean that you desired to go _through_ the -factories; thought maybe you meant you desired to go _partly_ through -only—just wanted to see _some_ of the things.” - -“No,” Bob hastily made reply, “I want to go through; I want to see -everything. Understand?” - -Fitz nodded. - -“Well, come on, then,” he said; “we’ve got to be moving.” - -As they went along the corridor, Bob became aware of doors ahead opening -to right and left. He saw the flash of flames and heard the whirr of -wheels and the hub-bub of hammers. - -“This room to the right,” said Fitz Mee, “is the machine-shop; that on -the left is the forging-room.” - -They visited each in turn, and the lad was delighted with all he saw. - -“He! he!” he laughed when they were again out in the corridor and free -from the thunder and crash and din that had almost deafened them. “The -idea, Fitz, of me not wanting to go through your factories; of not -wanting to see everything! You bet I want to go through! You thought I’d -be afraid—that’s what _you_ thought; and the mayor, too. But I’ll show -you; I’m no baby—not much!” - -His companion grinned impishly, but made no reply. - -The next place they entered was the great moulding-room. Open cupolas -were pouring forth white-hot streams of molten metal, which half-nude and -sweaty, grimy goblins were catching in ladles and bearing here and there. -The temperature of the room was almost unbearable; the atmosphere was -poisonous with sulphurous gases. Bob crossed the threshold and stopped. - -“Come on,” commanded his companion; “we must hurry along, or we won’t get -through to-day.” - -“I—I don’t believe I care to go through here,” Bob said hesitatingly. - -“Why?” Fitz Mee jerked out. - -“It’s so awful hot and smelly,” the boy explained; “and I’m—I’m a little -afraid of all that hot metal.” - -“No matter; you must go through here.” - -“I _must_?” Bob cried indignantly. - -“Certainly. You said you’d be pleased to go through our factories; so -now you must go through—through every apartment. Boys in Goblinville, you -know, must do what pleases ’em.” - -“But it doesn’t please me to go through this fiery furnace, Fitz.” - -“Well, boys’re not allowed to change their minds every few minutes in -Goblinville. Come on.” - -“I won’t!” Bob said obstinately. - -“You’ll get into trouble, Bob.” - -“I don’t care.” - -“And you’ll get _me_ into trouble.” - -“You into trouble? How?” - -“You heard what the mayor said, didn’t you?” - -“Y-e-s.” - -“Well?” - -“Well, I’ll go through for your sake, Fitz; but I don’t want to. It is a -fool law or custom—or whatever it is—that won’t let a fellow change his -mind once in a while, when he feels like it! A great way that is to let a -boy do what he pleases! But lead on.” - -They sauntered through the moulding—room, Bob trembling and dodging and -blinking, and out into the corridor again. - -“Mercy!” the urchin exclaimed, inhaling a deep breath of relief. “I don’t -want any more of that! I’m all in a sweat and a tremble; I was afraid all -the time some of that hot metal would splash on me.” - -“It does splash on the workers at times,” Fitz Mee observed quietly. - -Not heeding his companion’s remark, Bob continued: “And my lungs feel -all stuffy. I couldn’t stand such a hot and smelly place more than a few -minutes.” - -“How do you suppose the moulders stand it for ten hours a day?” Fitz -asked. - -“I don’t see how they do—and I don’t see _why_ they do,” the boy replied. - -“You don’t see why they do?” - -“No, I don’t.” - -“For the same reason workmen stand disagreeable and dangerous kinds of -work in your country, Bob; to earn a living.” - -“I wouldn’t do it,” the boy declared loftily. - -“You might have to, were you a grown man or goblin.” - -“Well, I wouldn’t. My papa doesn’t have to do anything of the kind.” - -“Your father’s a physician, isn’t he?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, doesn’t he miss meals, and lose sleep, and worry over his -patients, and work sometimes for weeks at a time without rest or peace of -mind?” - -“Yes, he does.” - -“But you’d rather do that than be a common laborer for eight or ten hours -a day, would you?” - -“I—I don’t know; I’d rather just be a boy and have fun all the time. And -I guess I’ve seen enough of your factories, Fitz; I want to get out into -the fresh air and sunshine again.” - -“You must go on through,” the goblin answered, quietly but positively. - -“Well, have we seen nearly all there is to see?” - -“No, we’ve just begun; we haven’t seen one-tenth part yet.” - -“Oh, dear!” Bob groaned. “I never can stand it, Fitz; it’ll take us all -day.” - -“Yes,” the goblin nodded. - -“Well, I tell you I can’t stand it.” - -“But you must; it was your choice.” - -“Choice!” angrily. “I didn’t know What it would be like.” - -“You shouldn’t have chosen so rashly. Come on.” - -Bob demurred and pleaded, and whimpered a little, it must be confessed; -but his guide was inexorable. - -It is not necessary to enter into details in regard to all the boy saw, -experienced and learned. Let it suffice to say that at three o’clock -that afternoon he was completely worn out with strenuous sight-seeing. -The grating, rumbling, thundering sounds had made his head ache; the -sights and smells had made his heart sick. He had seen goblins, goblins, -goblins—goblins sooty and grimed, goblins wizened and old before their -time; goblins grinding out their lives in the cutlery factory; goblins -inhaling poisonous fumes in the chemical works; goblins, like beasts of -burden, staggering under heavy loads; goblins doing this thing, that -thing and the other thing, that played havoc with their health and -shortened their lives. And he was disgusted—nauseated with it all! - -“Oh, Fitz!” he groaned. “I can’t go another step; I can’t stand it to see -any more! I thought it would be pleasant; but—oh, dear!” - -“Sit down here and rest a minute,” Fitz Mee said, not unkindly, -indicating a rough bench against the wall of the corridor. “Now, why -can’t you bear to see any more?” - -“Oh, it’s so awful!” the boy moaned. “I can’t bear to see ’em toiling and -suffering, to see ’em so dirty and wretched.” - -The goblin laughed outright. - -“Bob, you’re a precious donkey!” he cried. “True, the workers in the -factories toil hard at dirty work—work that shortens their lives in -some cases; but they’re inured to it, and they don’t mind it as much as -you think. And what would you? All labor is hard, if one but thinks so; -there are no soft snaps, if one does his duty. It’s the way of the goblin -world, and it’s the way of the human world. All must labor, all must -suffer more or less; there’s no escape for the highest or the lowest. And -work has its compensation, has its reward; it—” - -“Oh, shut up!” the lad muttered petulantly. “I don’t want to hear any -more. You talk just like my papa does. I wish I’d never been born, if -I’ve got to grow up and work. So there!” - -“You’ll never grow up, if you stay in Goblinville, Bob,” Fitz Mee said -softly; but his pop eyes were twinkling humorously. “And you won’t have -to work—not much, anyhow.” - -Bob sat soberly silent; evidently he was doing some deep thinking. - -The goblin went on: “If you’re rested now, we’ll resume our sight-seeing.” - -“I don’t want to see any more,” the lad grunted pugnaciously; “and I’m -not going to, either.” - -“Yes, come on.” - -“I won’t do it.” - -“Please do, Bob.” - -“I won’t, I say.” - -“You’ll get us both into trouble.” - -“I don’t care if I do.” - -“They’ll send us to prison.” - -“What!” - -“They will.” - -“Who will?” - -“The mayor and his officers.” - -“Send us both?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well,” bristling, “I guess they won’t send _me_—the old meddlers! They -won’t dare to; I’m not a citizen of this country.” - -“That won’t make any difference, Bob!” - -“It will too. If they send me to prison, the people of my country will -come over here and—and lick ’em out of their boots. Now!” - -Fitz Mee bent double and stamped about the floor, laughing till the tears -ran down his fat cheeks. But suddenly he sobered and said: - -“Come on, Bob; you’ve got to.” - -“I won’t!” the boy declared perversely. “I _don’t_ have to.” - -The goblin made no further plea; but placing a silver whistle to his -lips blew a sharp blast. In answer, a squad of officers stepped from the -shadows. - -“What’s wanted, Fitz Mee?” said the leader. - -“This boy flatly refuses to obey the law, to go on through the factories, -as he stated would please him.” - -“Boy, is this true?” demanded the officer. - -“Yes, it is,” Bob confessed fearlessly, shamelessly. - -“Fitz Mee, he confesses,” muttered the officer. “What would you have me -do?” - -“Take him and carry him through,” Fitz Mee said icily. - -“Very well,” answered the officer. “But if we do that we take the case -out of your hands, Fitz Mee. And in order to make a satisfactory report -to the mayor, we’ll have to carry him through all the factories—those he -has already visited as well as those he has not.” - -[Illustration] - -“Yes, that’s true,” Fitz nodded. - -“What’s that?” Bob cried, keenly concerned. - -The officer gravely repeated his statement. - -“Oh, nonsense!” the boy exclaimed. “You fellows go away and quit -bothering me. I never saw such a country! A fine place for a boy to do as -he pleases, surely! Come on, Fitz.” - -All the goblins laughed heartily, and Bob disrespectfully made faces at -them, to their increased amusement. - -When the two comrades had made their round of the factories, and were out -in the fresh air again, the boy murmured meekly, a sob in his throat: - -“Fitz, I’m tired—I’m sick of it all! I wish I hadn’t come here, I—I wish -I was back home again.” - -“What!” his companion cried in assumed surprise. - -“I do!” - -“Back home, and be compelled to obey your elders—your parents and your -teachers?” Fitz Mee said, grinning and winking impishly. - -“Well,”—pettishly,—“it wouldn’t be any worse than being compelled to obey -a lot of fool officers, anyhow.” - -“You’re just compelled to do what pleases you, just as I told you,” Fitz -Mee explained smoothly. - -“Oh, do shut up!” the lad pouted. - -“You’re out of sorts,” the goblin giggled; “you’re hungry—you need some -food tablets.” - -“Bah!” Bob gagged. “Pills! I can’t swallow any more of ’em—I just can’t! -Oh, I wish I had a good supper like mother cooks!” - -Fitz Mee threw himself prone and kicked and pounded the earth, laughing -and whooping boisterously; and Bob stood and stared at him, in silent -disapproval and disgust. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -BEFORE THE MAYOR OF GOBLINLAND - - -As the days passed Bob became more and more disgruntled, more and more -dissatisfied with things in Goblinville. The bare thought of food-tablets -and drink-pellets disgusted and nauseated him; and he could hardly -swallow them at all. The young goblins would not, could not, play the -games he liked to play. They were too small for one reason; and, then, -as it did not please them to do so, they were not permitted to do so. -And the boy was without youthful companionship. The only associates he -had were his faithful companion Fitz Mee and the officers of the town, -who were always at his elbow to see that he did what pleased him. This -constant espionage became simply unbearable; and the lad grew peevish, -gloomy; desperate. At last he broke down and tearfully confessed to his -comrade: - -“Fitz, I want to go back home; I do—I do! I can’t stand it here any -longer. It isn’t at all what I thought it would be like; and I’m -homesick!” - -Fitz Mee did not laugh; he did not smile, even. On the contrary he looked -very grave—and a little sad. - -“So you’re homesick, Bob—eh?” he said. - -“Yes, I am, Fitz.” - -“And you desire to go home?” - -“Uh-huh.” - -“You don’t like things here in Goblinville?” - -“No, I don’t.” - -“What is it you object to?” - -“Oh, everything!” - -“But especially?” - -“Well, the—the pills, I guess.” - -“Oh!” joyfully. “Is that all, Bob? We can fix that all right. I’ll get a -special permit from the mayor—he’s a political friend of mine,—to let me -prepare you food like you’ve been accustomed to. Then you’ll be as happy -as a clam, won’t you?” - -“I—I don’t hardly know, Fitz; no, I don’t think I will.” - -“What!” - -“Uk-uh.” - -“Well, what else is wrong, then?” - -The goblin’s pop eyes were dancing with mischief. - -“I don’t like to be compelled to do what pleases me,” Bob confessed -shamefacedly. - -“Ho, ho!” laughed Fitz Mee. - -“Oh, you can laugh!” the boy cried, in weak irritation. “But I don’t!” - -“You said it would just suit you, Bob—before you came here,” Fitz -chuckled hoarsely, holding his sides and rocking to and fro. - -“I know I did; but I’d never tried it.” - -“And you don’t like it?” - -“No, indeed,” Bob answered very earnestly. - -“And you’re homesick, and want to go home?” - -The boy nodded, his eyes downcast. - -“All the goblins’ll laugh at you, if you go to leave Goblinville.” - -“Well, let ’em; I don’t care.” - -“And your people and your schoolmates will laugh at you, when you return -home.” - -Bob was silent, deeply pondering. - -“Don’t you care?” Fitz Mee asked, cackling explosively. - -“Yes, I do! But I’ve got to go, anyhow; I’ll die here.” - -“Oh, no, you won’t, Bob,” said the goblin, teasingly. - -“I will, too,” said Bob, desperately in earnest; “I know.” - -“You’ll have to go to school, if you return home.” - -“I don’t mind that; I’ll have other boys to play with, anyhow.” - -“Yes, but you’ll have to obey the teacher.” - -“I know.” - -“And you’ll have to do what pleases your parents.” - -“I know that, too.” - -“And you won’t be permitted to do what pleases yourself.” - -“I know; I’ve thought it all over, Fitz.” - -“And yet you wish to return home?” - -“Yes, I do.” - -Fitz Mee laughed gleefully, uproariously, irrationally, laughed till the -tears coursed down his cheeks and his fat features were all a-quiver. - -“Ho, ho!” he gasped at last. “Roberty-Boberty, you’re not the same boy -you were, not at all; you’re not half as high and mighty. What’s come -over you, hey?” - -“I’ve—I’ve learned something, I—I guess, Fitz.” - -“Oh, you have!” - -“Uh-huh.” - -“What?” - -“I’m not going to say,” replied Bob, grinning sheepishly; “but I think I -know what you brought me to Goblinland for.” - -“What for?” - -“W-e-ll, to—to teach me what I’ve learned. Didn’t you?” - -“I’m not going to say,” mimicked the goblin. - -Then both tittered. - -“And you’re bound to go back home, Bob?” Fitz pursued. - -The boy nodded. - -[Illustration: “If you’re rested now, we’ll resume our sight-seeing.” -(See page 168.)] - -“You’re a pretty looking thing to go back to Yankeeland—a little mite of -a human like you!” sneeringly. - -“Oh, Fitz!” the lad wailed. “Can’t I be made a real boy again?” - -The goblin impressively shook his head. - -“I don’t know,” he said slowly. “You see you’ve taken so many gob-tabs -it’s very doubtful whether you can be changed back into a boy at all.” - -“Oh, Fitz, don’t say that!”—greatly distressed. - -“Of course, if you were put on human diet for a long time, you might come -out all right,”—reflectively. - -“But can’t I take something that will change me quick—right away?” - -Again the goblin shook his head. - -“I doubt it,” he murmured. “Giant-tabs would make a giant of you; and you -don’t want to be a giant.” - -“No, I don’t.” - -“Well, I guess, then, if you want to go back home right away, you’ll have -to go just as you are.” - -“Oh, Fitz!” almost blubbering. “I don’t want to go back home this way; -I just can’t! Can’t you give me something that will—will stretch me and -swell me to boy size—just to boy size? Can’t you—can’t you?” - -“I don’t know,”—with a gloomy shake of the head; “I never heard of such -a drug or chemical, but it’s barely possible our chemists may know of -something of the kind. I’ll see about it. But here’s a difficulty.” - -“What? What, Fitz?” - -“Why, as you know, there’s no means of getting out of Goblinland except -by balloon; and I doubt if my balloon will carry you at full and normal -weight.” - -“But can’t you get a bigger one?” - -“I might have one made; I don’t—” - -“Oh, no—no, Fitz!” the boy interrupted frantically. “Don’t think of doing -that; I can’t wait. Can’t you borrow a bigger one?” - -“There are no bigger ones, except the mayor’s state balloon. It has two -feather beds lashed together for a bag, and a very large car.” - -“Can’t you get it—can’t you get it, Fitz?” - -“I don’t know, indeed. Then, here’s another difficulty, Bob, and a -greater one to my mind.” - -“Oh, Fitz!” the boy moaned, wringing his hands. “You don’t mean it!” - -“Yes, I do,” said the goblin, nodding gravely; but his twinkling pop eyes -belied his words. “You see, Bob, you’re the first human being that has -ever come to Goblinland. Now, the secrets of the country—including the -secret of its whereabouts, have always been carefully guarded. I don’t -know what his honor, the mayor, will say about letting you go.” - -“I won’t tell anything, Fitz, I won’t—I won’t!” - -“Not a thing?” questioned Fitz Mee. - -“No, sir—not a thing.” - -“W-e-ll, I—I don’t know. What will you do, Bob, if the mayor won’t let -you go back home?” - -“I’ll just die—that’s what!” - -The goblin slapped his thin thighs and laughed and whooped, and laughed -some more. - -Out of patience, the lad screamed: “Laugh! Laugh till you burst, you old -Convulsions! You old Spasms! You old Hysterics! Yeah! Yeah!” - -And Fitz Mee did laugh—till he was entirely out of breath and panting and -wheezing like a bellows. When at last he had regained control of himself, -he whispered brokenly: - -“Bob, we’ll—we’ll go and see—the mayor.” - -And they caught up their caps and were off. - -“So you wish to go home, boy—eh?” said the mayor, the august ruler of -Goblinville and all adjacent territory, as soon as the two were ushered -into his presence. - -“Yes, sir,” Bob answered humbly. Then, with boyish inquisitiveness: “But -how did you know it?” - -“Never mind,” was the gruff reply. “It will please you to return home -will it?” - -“Yes, sir, indeed it will.” - -“Then you must go. Be off at once.” - -“But—but—” Bob began. - -“I’ll fix all that,” his honor interrupted, quickly divining what the boy -meant to say. “I’m as anxious to be rid of you as you are to be gone. -You’ve stirred up a pretty rumpus here—_you_ have. You’re the first human -boy that ever came into my domain; and you’ll be the last. But I trust -your experience has done you good—eh?” - -Bob nodded. - -“Very well, then. Sign this pledge that you won’t reveal what you’ve seen -and learned, and that you’ll take the lesson to heart.” - -Bob gladly signed the pledge. - -“Now,” continued the mayor, his eyes snapping humorously, “these are -the conditions under which you must leave my domain: I’ll call in -the chemists and have them restore you to normal size; I’ve already -communicated with them, and they assure me they can do it. Then I’ll -let the honorable and worthy Fitz Mee take my state balloon and carry -you back to Yankeeland. You will set out this afternoon at one o’clock. -But one other thing I exact: you must bear nothing away with you that -you did not bring here with you.” And the mayor gave the boy a keen, -meaningful look that the urchin could not interpret. - -[Illustration] - -The chemists came in, three aged and bewhiskered goblins wearing long, -black robes and silk skull caps. - -“My good chemists,” said the mayor, “are you ready for the experiment?” - -“All ready, your honor,” the eldest of the three made answer, bowing -profoundly. - -“To work, then,” the mayor commanded. - -The younger two advanced and caught and held Bob’s hands, their fingers -upon his pulse. The eldest produced a tiny phial of thick, opalescent -liquid. - -“Put out your tongue,” he said to the boy. - -The lad unhesitatingly obeyed, and the aged and trembling chemist let a -drop of the viscid liquid fall upon the tip of the youngster’s quivering -organ of speech. - -The effect was instantaneous and startling, if not marvelous. Bob let -out a mad bellow of pain, shaking his head and writhing and drooling. -The mayor changed countenance and deprecatingly shook his head. Fitz Mee -groaned aloud. - -“Draw in your tongue and shut your mouth and swallow!” the three savants -simultaneously yelled at the boy. - -Bob reluctantly did as he was told; and immediately, instantaneously he -was restored to normal size. - -“Whoopee!” shouted the chemists, embracing one another and indulging in -mad capers and other manifestations of insane joy. “A success! A complete -success!” - -“Thank goodness!” murmured Fitz Mee. “A success!” - -“Yes,” the mayor muttered drily, grimly, “a remarkable success—a _too_ -remarkable success! My good chemists, destroy what you have left of that -stuff, and make no more at your peril. I’m not going to have any more -_boys_ manufactured in this country—a noisy, disturbing lot! You hear -me!” Then to Fitz Mee: “You take your departure from the public square -at one o’clock, remember. The state balloon will be there in readiness. -You’re excused.” - -When the two comrades were again at Fitz Mee’s residence, Bob remarked -ingenuously: - -“Fitz, while you’re getting ready I’m going to gather up some of the gold -nuggets I saw on the shore of the brook.” - -“Better not,” Fitz replied, without looking up from his work. - -“Why?” - -“I wouldn’t, if I were you—that’s all.” - -“Well, why?” - -“They’re not yours.” - -“I know. But you goblins make no use of them; and it wouldn’t be -wrong—wouldn’t be stealing, would it?” - -“No,” Fitz Mee mumbled, “it wouldn’t be robbery, exactly. But you heard -what the mayor said.” - -“What about?” - -“That you weren’t to take anything away with you that you didn’t bring -here with you.” - -“Yes, I heard him. Is that what he meant?” - -“To be sure.” - -“Well, why does he object to my taking a few old nuggets of gold that -none of you will use?” said Bob peevishly. - -“For this reason, Bob: you take that gold back to Yankeeland, and tell -where you got it—” - -“But I won’t tell where I got it,” the lad interrupted. - -Unheeding, the goblin continued: “And your money-mad people will search -out our country and conquer and ruin us.” - -“Oh, pshaw, Fitz!” - -“What I say is true, Bob.” - -But Bob was neither convinced nor satisfied, and he resolved to have the -nuggets at all hazard. Where was the harm? The gold was of no value to -the goblins; it would be of great value to him. And he wouldn’t say a -word about where he got it—indeed he wouldn’t. He would take it; and no -one would be the wiser or the poorer. So, while his comrade was busy at -other things, he slipped out to the brookside and filled his pockets. - -One o’clock came, the time of departure, and all Goblinville, including -the mayor and his officers, was out to see the aëronauts off upon their -long voyage. The mayor shook hands with the two and wished them God-speed -and the populace gave them three hearty cheers. - -Then the anchor was weighed, and they were off. Slowly and majestically -the great state balloon began to ascend. But when it had risen a -hundred feet, Bob, looking over the side of the car, became aware of a -disturbance in the crowd beneath. He saw goblins excitedly running this -way and that and a number of officers trundling a big black object on -wheels across the public square. - -“What’s the meaning of the rumpus, Fitz?” the lad cried to his companion. -“What’s that the officers have?” - -“Why,” Fitz gasped, taking a hurried look beneath, “the officers are -running out the dynamite gun!” - -“And they’re training it upon our balloon—upon _us_!” Bob whispered -hoarsely, his soul a prey to guilty fear. “What—what can it mean, Fitz?” - -Then arose the voice of the mayor, bellowing: - -“Fitz Mee, descend! Come back! That boy can’t leave Goblinland with his -pockets full of gold! He has deceived us; he can’t leave Goblinland at -all. Come down; or we’ll send a dynamite shell through the balloon-bag, -and bring you down in a hurry.” - -Fitz gave a few strokes to the pump, and the big balloon came to a stop. -Bob sat silent, speechless at the dread result of his rash act. - -“You’ve played the mischief—_you_ have, Bob Taylor!” his companion -snarled angrily, reproachfully. “And you’ll spend the balance of your -days in Goblinland—that’s what!” - -“Oh, dear!” the boy found voice to moan. “Oh, dear!” - -“Hello!” Fitz called over the side of the car. “Hello, your honor!” - -“Hello!” answered the mayor. - -“If I’ll make the boy throw the gold down to you, will that satisfy you?” - -“No, it won’t!” came the hoarse and determined reply. “Bring the young -scamp back! He shall stay in Goblinville!” - -“I guess I won’t!” Bob shouted, desperation spurring his courage. And he -sprang to the air-tank and opened the cock. The balloon began to rise -swiftly. - -“Oh, Bob—Bob!” Fitz Mee groaned. “What have you done? We’ll both be -killed!” - -“Boom!” went the dynamite gun; and a shell tore through the balloon-bag, -rending it asunder and sending goose feathers fluttering in all -directions. - -The car began to drop like a plummet. Its occupants let it out shrill -screeches of terror. Then came the proverbial dull, sickening thud! Bob -felt the empty balloon—bag fall over him and envelop him; and then he -lost consciousness. - -“Bob, crawl out of there.” - -[Illustration] - -“Fitz! Fitz!” the boy cried, disentangling himself and struggling to his -feet. - -“Fits!” laughed a big manly voice. “Yes, I guess you’ve got ’em, Bob; and -you’ve rolled out of bed in one, and dragged the covers with you.” - -Bob blinked and rubbed his sleepy eyes. 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