THE RETURN OF THE YELLOW KNIGHT

"This is the day we're going to see the Yellow Knight, Confido. Aren't you excited?" Marygolden hopped out of her canopied bed and fairly danced into the ruffled robe and flowered silk dress the Queen's lady in waiting had brought in to her.

"Knights, yellow or red, mean nothing to me," yawned the little dog, rolling over lazily. "But I do wonder what the Sultan is doing by this time. I'll wager the old bore misses me like fury."

"Why bother about him?" said Marygolden, combing her yellow curls briskly. "You belong to me, now. We're going to America and you need never return to Samandra at all. Don't you like me a little bit, Confido?"

"Well, rather," admitted the little dog cautiously. "But you must carry me every place you go and see that I have plenty of cream and chicken."

"All right," agreed Marygolden good-naturedly. "But come on, let's see what Speedy and Sir Hokus are doing." Tucking the Peke under her arm, Marygolden ran gaily down to the courtyard. Speedy and the Knight had been up for hours, and seated on a gold bench near a sparkling fountain were discussing the possibility of a surprise attack by the Sultan, and the probable uses of the remaining dates. It was astonishing to see the castle that but yesterday had lain so dusty and lifeless now bustling with sound and activity. Gardeners in quaint green coats were clipping the early roses, pages and footmen stepped importantly about, and everything was going on exactly as it had done five hundred years before, when the Sultan's transformations had taken place.

"Well," mused Speedy, waving cheerfully to Marygolden, "as soon as the Yellow Knight is restored, we'd better be heading for the Emerald City. It's great fun here, but Uncle Billy must be dreadfully worried by this time, and I ought to be getting back. I'll certainly miss you and Peter and Stampedro, but there'll be Marygolden to remind me of Oz."

"And a mighty sweet reminder," smiled Sir Hokus, rising gallantly as the little Princess dropped on the bench beside them. "Dids't rest well, maiden?"

"Yes, indeed," said Marygolden, ruffling up Confido's soft fur. "But I can hardly wait to see the Yellow Knight. Is it almost time, Sir Hokus?"

"Just one hour to ten," answered Sir Hokus, squinting up at the great clock on the tower. "Cans't wait that long, Princess?"

"Lords and Ladies now awaken, Come to breakfast, buns and bacon, Tarts and toast! What ho! What hey! Will ye tarry here all day?"

shouted Peter Pun, cartwheeling up to the bench.

"Let's go now, while the bacon's hot," wheezed Confido, scratching Marygolden on the arm. "And don't forget my bowl of cream. Is there plenty of cream--thick, yellow cream, person?"

"Barrels," Peter assured him gravely. "Cream for the Imperial Houndling!" called the jester, capering ahead of the visitors. "Cream in cups, saucers, and pudding bowls!" Breakfast, in spite of the anxiety of the King and Queen of Corumbia to see their son, was a sumptuous and merry affair. Speedy, his plate heaped with roast wild fowl, crisp buns, and fresh strawberry tarts, with a footman behind his chair to anticipate his slightest wish, reflected that there would be many times when he would miss all this castle and king stuff. The King, himself, was bubbling over with jollity, joking every other minute with Peter Pun; but the Queen scarcely ate a mouthful, and kept glancing nervously at the clock over the mantel. At ten minutes of the hour she could endure the suspense no longer.

"Are you sure it was ten and not before?" she asked, looking anxiously at Confido, who was lapping up his fifth bowl of cream.

"Quite sure," answered the Sultan's dog calmly. "But since your Highness must ascend to the tallest tower, perhaps you had better start ascending."

[Illustration: THE MAGIC STONE STRUCK THE SILVER BREASTPLATE OF SIR HOKUS.]

"Here's the date," said Speedy, handing the smallest one on the bunch to the Queen. "I'm going out into the courtyard with Stampedro," he cried, pushing back his chair. "Come on, Marygolden! Come on, Sir Hokus! Come on, Peter!" Followed by half the courtiers and servants, the three hurried out of the castle, and presently they gave a loud cheer, for high above their heads on the balcony of the castle's tallest tower, stood the King and Queen. Stampedro had been waiting for this hour since dawn, and fairly pranced with restlessness and impatience. As the golden bells in the tower started musically to toll, every face turned upward. Speedy and Marygolden, close to the Yellow Knight's charger, clasped hands nervously, and Sir Hokus, who held Stampedro's bridle, snatched off his helmet the better to see this long lost Prince of Corumbia. As the tenth stroke pealed from the tower, the Queen, who had already eaten the date, tossed the magic stone over the balcony rail. Like a falling star it sped downward, struck the silver breastplate of Sir Hokus of Pokes, and shivered into a hundred glittering fragments. The crowd, in a stupefied silence, stared at the Knight, when three shrill blasts sounded from the trumpets of the golden page boys on the top of the tower.

"This," called the first, in a clear ringing voice, "this is Corum----"

"Prince of Corumbia!" cried the second page.

"And the Yellow Knight of Oz!" finished the third, and raising their trumpets together the pages blew one long, piercing blast. Then they stiffened into silence and were still. And where, now, was Sir Hokus of Pokes, the kind, friendly, gray old Knight of Oz? Speedy, with a queer sinking in his heart, rubbed his eyes and stared again. Standing at Stampedro's head was a sturdy young Knight with shining gold hair. A yellow plume rose from his gold helmet, and a yellow cloak floated from his broad shoulders. His eyes, blue and sparkling, looked impatiently over the crowd, which had broken into the wildest cheering and stamping. Feeling terribly confused and friendless, Marygolden and Speedy moved closer together, while the Comfortable Camel gave a groan of dismay. Without seeming to know or notice them, the Yellow Knight flung his arms round Stampedro's neck, and the great horse nickered and whinnied with joy. Waiting just long enough to embrace the King and Queen, who had hurried down from the tower, the Yellow Knight leapt into the saddle and raised his gleaming lance.

"I remember where I was bound before this enchantment!" he cried boisterously. "I ride to win the hand of a neighboring Princess. Countrymen, farewell! I will return with my bride."

"Oh!" gasped Marygolden. "Is he not of a marvelous handsomeness? Oh! Oh! He has forgotten all about serving me." And hiding her head on Speedy's shoulder, the Princess began to weep bitterly.

"There, there!" said Speedy gruffly, shielding Marygolden from the press of the crowd. "What do you care about this fellow? You're coming to America with me."

"But who'll show us the way?" wailed Marygolden, her tears falling thick and fast upon Confido's head. Speedy, not sure himself, stood on tiptoe to have a last look at the vanishing Knight, whom Stampedro had already carried to the gates, when he felt a tug at his coat. It was the Comfortable Camel, wild-eyed and furious.

"Let's go after them," screamed the Camel. "Let's try those other dates and see whether we cannot save him from himself. Are we going to lose Sir Hokus of Pokes just to please these Corumbians? Climb up quickly, youngsters. I can run as fast as any horse in Oz. Climb up, and we'll bring him back again!" Not sure that they could, but unwilling to let the Yellow Knight ride away without a word, Speedy and Marygolden stepped on a bench and thence to the high seat between Camy's humps. Next instant there were two clouds of dust on the highway. And Camy was as good as his word, for though Stampedro had a long start, never once did they lose sight of his flying heels. Breathless and banged about, Speedy and the Princess hung on to the sides of the seat and to one another, while Confido growled and snarled at the awful discomforts of the ride. At first, Speedy thought they were going through Samandra, but skirting the Sultan's desert domain, the Knight rode through a pleasant pastoral valley filled with tumble-down and empty villages and towns, and after a sharp two-hour gallop came to a tall silver-trimmed castle. But it was as forsaken, forlorn, and deserted as the Castle of Corumbia had been the day before; every window was broken, and the courtyard was a wilderness of weeds. Dismounting slowly, the Yellow Knight looked sadly around, and as the Comfortable Camel came charging through the broken gateway he seemed scarcely to see him.

"All gone," mused the Knight. "And yet, surely this was the day set for the grand test of skill and courage."

"What are you talking about?" scolded Camy, panting and heaving with exhaustion. "Is this gratitude, I ask--running away from your old friends, and forgetting all about your former comrades? Come back to the Emerald City where you belong. You are Sir Hokus of Pokes and nobody else!"

"Don't you remember us?" cried Speedy, while Marygolden extended her arms entreatingly. But Sir Hokus looked through and past them, and even when Stampedro tried to remind him of his former companions the Knight turned uneasily away.

"I must see the Princess. Where is the Princess of Corabia?" he fumed, striding feverishly up and down the courtyard. "Where are the King and the Queen and all the others?"

"In the river," barked Confido spitefully. "Where did you suppose?"

"River?" sputtered the Knight, gazing fearfully at the stream running swiftly by the castle.

"Certainly," sniffed the little dog, resting his chin on Marygolden's arm. "When the Sultan changed the Corumbians into trees and bushes, he turned the Corabians into fishes and frogs. If you want to catch the King, you'd better get yourself a line and a hook."

"Then that's what the other dates are for," marvelled Speedy, dragging the three remaining dates from his pocket. "One to restore the Corabians, one to restore the castle, and----"

"One to restore the Princess," finished Confido in a bored voice. "But why take all that trouble?"

"Yes, why bother?" groaned the Comfortable Camel, leaning against a tree. "Hokus doesn't know nor care for us. Let's go back to the Emerald City and see whether Ozma can bring him to his senses."

"But we really should help these poor people," sighed Marygolden, looking worriedly into the turbulent stream.

"Yes," agreed Speedy thoughtfully. "We really should." The Yellow Knight had withdrawn, and so heard nothing of the conversation, but Stampedro, trotting up to the depressed little group, tried his best to cheer and comfort them.

"The past must come before the present," he reminded them gently. "Give this young Knight time and he will remember you, and if you can help him further, I pray that you will. I, myself, will repay you and carry you back to America if need be, even though, once there, I may never speak nor see this fair land again." Touched by Stampedro's devotion to his master and his willingness to serve them, Speedy decided to break the last of the Sultan's evil spells. Confido, who seemed to take no interest one way or the other, drawled out instructions in a lazy voice, and Speedy, following these instructions, first ate the smallest date and cast the stone into the river. Instantly frogs' and fishes' heads in hundreds appeared above the surface of the water, changed as the watchers on the bank looked at them to people's heads, and presently as grand and colorful a company as had marched from the enchanted forest rose up out of the yellow river and proceeded quietly to the castle.

Hurriedly seeking out the King, Speedy explained as quickly as he could how the Sultan's enchantment had been dispelled. The King, who, Speedy could not help thinking, still looked a little like a fish, embraced the boy heartily and promised him half the Kingdom as a reward. But making light of that, Speedy, who was anxious to see the castle restored, begged the King to eat the second date and cast the seed upon a newly kindled fire in the dining hall. This the King was willing and ready enough to do, and as miraculously and swiftly as the Castle of Corumbia had been restored, the Castle of Corabia resumed its former glory and splendor. Speedy and Marygolden liked it even better than the castle they had just left, for the Corabian castle was of silver and crystal, and glittered and sparkled like a palace of ice. Having so satisfactorily restored his castle, the King returned to the courtyard to address his subjects. The Yellow Knight, in a dazed silence, had watched all the changes taking place before his eyes, and now urging Stampedro forward, approached the raised dais where the King and Queen, Speedy and Marygolden had taken their places. Camy, kneeling behind the two, peered out at his former hero with blurred and tear-dimmed eyes.

"I came to take my chance in the grand test of skill and courage for the hand of your daughter," cried the Yellow Knight, dipping the colors on his gold lance-tip to the King and Queen. At these words, four more Knights rode out from the crowd, repeating almost exactly the words of the Yellow Knight.

"Gosh, these fellows must have been enchanted along with the Corabians," decided Speedy, helping Marygolden to a place on an overturned flowerpot so she could have a good view of the champions, "and this test must have been planned the very day the Sultan's magic took effect."

"It was," snickered Confido, lifting his head curiously, "and what's more, the Princess is still enchanted and cannot be released until one of these Knights has passed the test and won the right to her hand. Ho, ho! Wait till they hear what the test is. They'll dash off in a hurry, even the brave Hokus, who pretends not to know us any more!"

"I'll wager he won't," asserted Marygolden stoutly. "I'll wager he will win this Princess. Dear, dear, how happy she will be to marry a Prince so tall and handsome."

"Sh--hh!" warned Speedy, touching her arm warningly. "The King is going to speak."