English
Withfastbeatingheartstheyallrushedforwardand,beyondagroupofstatelymetaltrees,camefulluponamostastonishingscene.
TherewasRuggedointhehandsoftheofficersofOogaboo,adozenofwhomwereclingingtotheoldnomeandholdinghimfastinspiteofhiseffortstoescape.
TherealsowasQueenAnn,lookinggrimlyuponthesceneofstrife;butwhensheobservedherformercompanionsapproachingsheturnedawayinashamefacedmanner.
ForAnnandherofficerswereindeedasighttobehold.
HerMajesty’sclothing,oncesorichandgorgeous,wasnowwornandtornintoshredsbyherlongcrawlthroughthetunnel,which,bytheway,hadledherdirectlyintotheMetalForest.
Itwas,indeed,oneofthethreesecretpassages,andbyfarthemostdifficultofthethree.
Annhadnotonlytornherprettyskirtandjacket,buthercrownhadbecomebentandbatteredandevenhershoesweresocutandslashedthattheywerereadytofallfromherfeet.
Theofficershadfaredsomewhatworsethantheirleader,forholeswereworninthekneesoftheirtrousers,whilesharppointsofrockintheroofandsidesofthetunnelhadmaderagsofeveryinchoftheironcebrilliantuniforms.
Amoretatteredandwoefularmynevercameoutofabattle,thantheseharmlessvictimsoftherockypassage.
ButithadseemedtheironlymeansofescapefromthecruelNomeKing;sotheyhadcrawledon,regardlessoftheirsufferings.
WhentheyreachedtheMetalForesttheireyesbeheldmoreplunderthantheyhadeverdreamedof;yettheywereprisonersinthishugedomeandcouldnotescapewiththerichesheapedaboutthem.
Perhapsamoreunhappyandhomesicklotof“conquerors”neverexistedthanthisbandfromOogaboo.
AfterseveraldaysofwanderingintheirmarvelousprisontheywerefrightenedbythediscoverythatRuggedohadcomeamongthem.
Rendereddesperatebytheirsadcondition,theofficersexhibitedcourageforthefirsttimesincetheylefthomeand,ignorantofthefactthatRuggedowasnolongerKingofthenomes,theythrewthemselvesuponhimandhadjustsucceededincapturinghimwhentheirfellowadventurersreachedthespot.
“Goodnessgracious!”criedBetsy.“Whathashappenedtoyouall?”
Anncameforwardtogreetthem,sorrowfulandindignant.
“Wewereobligedtoescapefromthepitthroughasmalltunnel,whichwaslinedwithsharpandjaggedrocks,”saidshe,“andnotonlywasourclothingtorntoragsbutourfleshissobruisedandsorethatwearestiffandlameineveryjoint.
Toaddtoourtroubleswefindwearestillprisoners;butnowthatwehavesucceededincapturingthewickedMetalMonarchweshallforcehimtograntusourliberty.”
“RuggedoisnolongerMetalMonarch,orKingofthenomes,”Filesinformedher.
“HehasbeendeposedandcastoutofhiskingdombyQuox;buthereisthenewKing,whosenameisKaliko,andIampleasedtoassureYourMajestythatheisourfriend.”
“GladtomeetYourMajesty,I’msure,”saidKaliko,bowingascourteouslyasiftheQueenstillworesplendidraiment.
Theofficers,havingheardthisexplanation,nowsetRuggedofree;but,ashehadnoplacetogo,hestoodbyandfacedhisformerservant,whowasnowKinginhisplace,inahumbleandpleadingmanner.
“Whatareyoudoinghere?”askedKalikosternly.
“Why,IwaspromisedasmuchtreasureasIcouldcarryinmypockets,”repliedRuggedo;“soIcameheretogetit,notwishingtodisturbYourMajesty.”
“Youwerecommandedtoleavethecountryofthenomesforever!”declaredKaliko.
“Iknow;andI’llgoassoonasIhavefilledmypockets,”saidRuggedo,meekly.
“Thenfillthem,andbegone,”returnedthenewKing.
Ruggedoobeyed.Stoopingdown,hebegangatheringupjewelsbythehandfulandstuffingthemintohismanypockets.
Theywereheavythings,thesediamondsandrubiesandemeraldsandamethystsandthelike,sobeforelongRuggedowasstaggeringwiththeweighthebore,whilethepocketswerenotyetfilled.
Whenhecouldnolongerstoopoverwithoutfalling,BetsyandPolychromeandtheRosePrincesscametohisassistance,pickingupthefinestgemsandtuckingthemintohispockets.
AtlastthesewereallfilledandRuggedopresentedacomicalsight,forsurelynomaneverbeforehadsomanypockets,oranyatallfilledwithsuchachoicecollectionofpreciousstones.
Heneglectedtothanktheyoungladiesfortheirkindness,butgavethemasurlynodoffarewellandstaggereddownthepathbythewayhehadcome.
Theylethimdepartinsilence,forwithallhehadtaken,themassesofjewelsuponthegroundseemedscarcelytohavebeendisturbed,sonumerouswerethey.
AlsotheyhopedtheyhadseenthelastofthedegradedKing.
“I’mawfulgladhe’sgone,”saidBetsy,sighingdeeply.“Ifhedoesn’tgetrecklessandspendhiswealthfoolishly,he’sgotenoughtostartabankwhenhegetstoOklahoma.”
“Butmybrother—mydearbrother!Whereishe?”inquiredShaggyanxiously.“Haveyouseenhim,QueenAnn?”
“Whatdoesyourbrotherlooklike?”askedtheQueen.
Shaggyhesitatedtoreply,butBetsysaid:“He’scalledtheUglyOne.Perhapsyou’llknowhimbythat.”
“Theonlypersonwehaveseeninthiscavern,”saidAnn,“hasrunawayfromuswheneverweapproachedhim.
Hehidesoveryonder,amongthetreesthatarenotgold,andwehaveneverbeenabletocatchsightofhisface.
SoIcannottellwhetherheisuglyornot.”
“Thatmustbemydearbrother!”exclaimedShaggy.
“Yes,itmustbe,”assentedKaliko.“Nooneelseinhabitsthissplendiddome,sotherecanbenomistake.”
“Butwhydoeshehideamongthosegreentrees,insteadofenjoyingalltheseglitterygoldenones?”askedBetsy.
“Becausehefindsfoodamongthenaturaltrees,”repliedKaliko,“andIrememberthathehasbuiltalittlehousethere,tosleepin.
Asfortheseglitterygoldentrees,Iwilladmittheyareveryprettyatfirstsight.
Onecannotfailtoadmirethem,aswellastherichjewelsscatteredbeneaththem;butifonehastolookatthemalways,theybecomeprettytame.”
“Ibelievethatistrue,”declaredShaggy.“Mydearbrotherisverywisetopreferrealtreestotheimitationones.Butcome;letusgothereandfindhim.”
Shaggystartedforthegreengroveatonce,andtheothersfollowedhim,beingcurioustowitnessthefinalrescueofhislong-sought,long-lostbrother.
Notfarfromtheedgeofthegrovetheycameuponasmallhut,cleverlymadeoftwigsandgoldenbrancheswoventogether.
Astheyapproachedtheplacetheycaughtaglimpseofaformthatdartedintothehutandslammedthedoortightshutafterhim.
ShaggyManrantothedoorandcriedaloud:
“Brother!Brother!”
“Whocalls,”demandedasad,hollowvoicefromwithin.
“ItisShaggy—yourownlovingbrother—whohasbeensearchingforyoualongtimeandhasnowcometorescueyou.”
“Toolate!”repliedthegloomyvoice.“Noonecanrescuemenow.”
“Oh,butyouaremistakenaboutthat,”saidShaggy.“ThereisanewKingofthenomes,namedKaliko,inRuggedo’splace,andhehaspromisedyoushallgofree.”
“Free!Idarenotgofree!”saidtheUglyOne,inavoiceofdespair.
“Whynot,Brother?”askedShaggy,anxiously.
“Doyouknowwhattheyhavedonetome?”cametheanswerthroughthecloseddoor.
“No.Tellme,Brother,whathavetheydone?”
“WhenRuggedofirstcapturedmeIwasveryhandsome.Don’tyouremember,Shaggy?”
“Notverywell,Brother;youweresoyoungwhenIlefthome.ButIrememberthatmotherthoughtyouwerebeautiful.”
“Shewasright!Iamsureshewasright,”wailedtheprisoner.
“ButRuggedowantedtoinjureme—tomakemeuglyintheeyesofalltheworld—soheperformedawickedenchantment.
Iwenttobedbeautiful—oryoumightsayhandsome—tobeverymodestIwillmerelyclaimthatIwasgood-looking—andIwakenedthenextmorningthehomeliestmaninalltheworld!
IamsorepulsivethatwhenIlookinamirrorIfrightenmyself.”
“PoorBrother!”saidShaggysoftly,andalltheothersweresilentfromsympathy.
“Iwassoashamedofmylooks,”continuedthevoiceofShaggy’sbrother,“thatItriedtohide;butthecruelKingRuggedoforcedmetoappearbeforeallthelegionofnomes,towhomhesaid:‘BeholdtheUglyOne!’
Butwhenthenomessawmyfacetheyallfelltolaughingandjeering,whichpreventedthemfromworkingattheirtasks.
Seeingthis,Ruggedobecameangryandpushedmeintoatunnel,closingtherockentrancesothatIcouldnotgetout.
IfollowedthelengthofthetunneluntilIreachedthishugedome,wherethemarvelousMetalForeststands,andhereIhaveremainedeversince.”
“PoorBrother!”repeatedShaggy.“ButIbegyounowtocomeforthandfaceus,whoareyourfriends.Noneherewilllaughorjeer,howeverunhandsomeyoumaybe.”
“No,indeed,”theyalladdedpleadingly.
ButtheUglyOnerefusedtheinvitation.
“Icannot,”saidhe;“indeed,Icannotfacestrangers,uglyasIam.”
ShaggyManturnedtothegroupsurroundinghim.
“WhatshallIdo?”heaskedinsorrowfultones.“Icannotleavemydearbrotherhere,andherefusestocomeoutofthathouseandfaceus.”
“I’lltellyou,”repliedBetsy.“Lethimputonamask.”
“TheveryideaIwasseeking!”exclaimedShaggyjoyfully;andthenhecalledout:“Brother,putamaskoveryourface,andthennoneofuscanseewhatyourfeaturesarelike.”
“Ihavenomask,”answeredtheUglyOne.
“Lookhere,”saidBetsy;“hecanusemyhandkerchief.”
Shaggylookedatthelittlesquareofclothandshookhishead.
“Itisn’tbigenough,”heobjected;“I’msureitisn’tbigenoughtohideaman’sface.Buthecanusemine.”
Sayingthishetookfromhispockethisownhandkerchiefandwenttothedoorofthehut.
“Here,myBrother,”hecalled,“takethishandkerchiefandmakeamaskofit.Iwillalsopassyoumyknife,sothatyoumaycutholesfortheeyes,andthenyoumusttieitoveryourface.”
Thedoorslowlyopened,justfarenoughfortheUglyOnetothrustouthishandandtakethehandkerchiefandtheknife.Thenitclosedagain.
“Don’tforgetaholeforyournose,”criedBetsy.“Youmustbreathe,youknow.”
Foratimetherewassilence.QueenAnnandherarmysatdownuponthegroundtorest.BetsysatonHank’sback.
PolychromedancedlightlyupanddownthejeweledpathswhileFilesandthePrincesswanderedthroughthegrovesarminarm.
Tik-Tok,whonevertired,stoodmotionless.
Byandbyanoisesoundedfromwithinthehut.
“Areyouready?”askedShaggy.
“Yes,Brother,”camethereplyandthedoorwasthrownopentoallowtheUglyOnetostepforth.
BetsymighthavelaughedaloudhadshenotrememberedhowsensitivetoridiculeShaggy’sbrotherwas,forthehandkerchiefwithwhichhehadmaskedhisfeatureswasaredonecoveredwithbigwhitepolkadots.
Inthistwoholeshadbeencut—infrontoftheeyes—whiletwosmalleronesbeforethenostrilsallowedthemantobreathefreely.
TheclothwasthentightlydrawnovertheUglyOne’sfaceandknottedatthebackofhisneck.
Hewasdressedinclothesthathadoncebeengood,butnowweresadlywornandfrayed.
Hissilkstockingshadholesinthem,andhisshoeswerestub-toedandneededblackening.
“Butwhatcanyouexpect,”whisperedBetsy,“whenthepoormanhasbeenaprisonerforsomanyyears?”
Shaggyhaddartedforward,andembracedhisnewlyfoundbrotherwithbothhisarms.ThebrotheralsoembracedShaggy,whothenledhimforwardandintroducedhimtoalltheassembledcompany.
“ThisisthenewNomeKing,”hesaidwhenhecametoKaliko.“Heisourfriend,andhasgrantedyouyourfreedom.”
“Thatisakindlydeed,”repliedUglyinasadvoice,“butIdreadtogobacktotheworldinthisdirefulcondition.
UnlessIremainforevermasked,mydreadfulfacewouldcurdleallthemilkandstopalltheclocks.”
“Can’ttheenchantmentbebrokeninsomeway?”inquiredBetsy.
ShaggylookedanxiouslyatKaliko,whoshookhishead.
“IamsureIcan’tbreaktheenchantment,”hesaid.“Ruggedowasfondofmagic,andlearnedagoodmanyenchantmentsthatwenomesknownothingof.”
“PerhapsRuggedohimselfmightbreakhisownenchantment,”suggestedAnn;“butunfortunatelywehaveallowedtheoldKingtoescape.”
“Nevermind,mydearBrother,”saidShaggyconsolingly;“Iamveryhappytohavefoundyouagain,althoughImayneverseeyourface.Soletusmakethemostofthisjoyfulreunion.”
TheUglyOnewasaffectedtotearsbythistenderspeech,andthetearsbegantowettheredhandkerchief;soShaggygentlywipedthemawaywithhiscoatsleeve.
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