A low, fierce growl greeted him. The Treasure Chamber was pretty
dark, although the moonlight came in through some of the windows, but the boy had brought with him the low brass lamp that lighted the corridor, and this he set upon a table beside the door before he took time to look around him.
The Treasure Chamber was heaped and crowded with all the riches the
Boolooroo had accumulated during his reign of two or three hundred
years. Piles of gold and jewels were on all sides, and precious
ornaments and splendid cloths, rare pieces of carved furniture, vases, bric-a-brac and the like, were strewn about the room in astonishing profusion.
Just at the boy's feet crouched a monstrous animal of most fearful
aspect. He knew at a glance it was the terrible Blue Wolf, and the
sight of the beast sent a shiver through him. The Blue Wolf's head
was fully as big as that of a lion, and its wide jaws were armed
with rows of long, pointed teeth. His shoulders and front legs were
huge and powerful, but the rest of the wolf's body dwindled away
until at the tail it was no bigger than a dog. The jaws were
therefore the dangerous part of the creature, and its small blue
eyes flashed wickedly at the intruder.
Just as the boy made his first step forward, the Blue Wolf sprang
upon him with its enormous jaws stretched wide open. Button-Bright
jammed the sofa-pillow into the brute's mouth and crowded it in as
hard as he could. The terrible teeth came together and buried
themselves in the pillow, and then Mr. Wolf found he could not pull
them out again--because his mouth was stuffed full. He could not
even growl or yelp, but rolled upon the floor trying in vain to
release himself from the conquering pillow.
Button-Bright paid no further attention to the helpless animal, but
caught up the blue-brass lamp and began a search for his umbrella. Of course he could not find it, as it was not there. He came across a small book bound in light-blue leather which lay upon an exquisitely carved center-table. It was named, in dark-blue letters stamped on the leather, "The Royal Record Book," and remembering Ghip-Ghisizzle longed to possess this book, Button-Bright hastily concealed it inside his blouse. Then he renewed his search for the umbrella, but it was quite in vain. He hunted in every crack and corner, bumbling the treasures here and there in the quest, but at last he became positive that the Magic Umbrella was not there.
The boy was bitterly disappointed and did not know what to do next. But he noticed that the Blue Wolf had finally seized an edge of the sofa-pillow in its sharp claws and was struggling to pull the thing out of his mouth; so, there being no object in his remaining longer in the room where he might have to fight the wolf again, Button-Bright went out and locked the door behind him.
While he stood in the corridor wondering what to do next, a sudden
shouting reached his ears. It was the voice of the Boolooroo, saying
"My Key, my Key! Who has stolen my golden Key?" And then there
followed shouts of soldiers and guards and servants, and the rapid
pattering of feet was heard throughout the palace.
Button-Bright took to his heels and ran along the passages until he
came to Cap'n Bill's room, where the sailorman and Trot were
anxiously awaiting him.
"Quick!" cried the boy. "We must escape from here at once, or we
will be caught and patched."
"Where's the umbrel?" asked Cap'n Bill.
"I don't know. I can't find it. But all the palace is aroused, and
the Boolooroo is furious. Come, let's get away at once!"
"Where'll we go?" inquired Trot.
"We must make for the open country and hide in the Fog Bank or in
the Arch of Phinis," replied the boy.
They did not stop to argue any longer, but all three stepped out of
the little door into the street, where they first clasped hands so
they would not get separated in the dark, and then ran as swiftly as
they could down the street, which was deserted at this hour by the
citizens. They could not go very fast because the sailorman's wooden
leg was awkward to run with and held them back, but Cap'n Bill
hobbled quicker than he had ever hobbled before in all his life, and
they really made pretty good progress.