第30章

Let them both come on, then!' And opening a grating of the box, he jumped lightly down into the circus.

WURRA WURRA WURRA WUR-AW-AW-AW!!!

In about two minutes The Count Hogginarmo was GOBBLED UPby those lions, bones, boots, and all, and There was an End of him.

At this, the King said, 'Serve him right, the rebellious ruffian! And now, as those lions won't eat that young woman--'

'Let her off!--let her off!' cried the crowd.

'NO! ' roared the King.'Let the beef-eaters go down and chop her into small pieces.If the lions defend her, let the archers shoot them to death.That hussy shall die in tortures!'

'A-a-ah!' cried the crowd.'Shame! shame!'

'Who dares cry out shame?' cried the furious potentate (so little can tyrants command their passions).'Fling any scoundrel who says a word down among the lions!'

I warrant you there was a dead silence then, which was broken by a Pang arang pang pangkarangpang, and a Knight and a Herald rode in at the further end of the circus: the Knight, in full armour, with his vizor up, and bearing a letter on the point of his lance.

'Ha!' exclaimed the King, 'by my fey, 'tis Elephant and Castle, pursuivant of my brother of Paflagonia; and the Knight, an' my memory serves me, is the gallant Captain Hedzoff! What news from Paflagonia, gallant Hedzoff? Elephant and Castle, beshrew me, thy trumpeting must have made thee thirsty.What will my trusty herald like to drink?'

'Bespeaking first safe conduct from your Lordship,' said Captain Hedzoff, 'before we take a drink of anything, permit us to deliver our King's message.'

'My Lordship, ha!' said Crim Tartary, frowning terrifically.

'That title soundeth strange in the anointed ears of a crowned King.Straightway speak out your message, Knight and Herald!'

Reining up his charger in a most elegant manner close under the King's balcony, Hedzoff turned to the Herald, and bade him begin.

Elephant and Castle, dropping his trumpet over his shoulder, took a large sheet of paper out of his hat, and began to read:--'O Yes! O Yes! O Yes! Know all men by these presents, that we, Giglio, King of Paflagonia, Grand Duke of Cappadocia, Sovereign Prince of Turkey and the Sausage Islands, having assumed our rightful throne and title, long time falsely borne by our usurping Uncle, styling himself King of Paflagonia--'

'Ha!' growled Padella.

'Hereby summon the false traitor, Padella, calling himself King of Crim Tartary--'

The King's curses were dreadful.'Go on, Elephant and Castle!'

said the intrepid Hedzoff.

'--To release from cowardly imprisonment his liege lady and rightful Sovereign, ROSALBA, Queen of Crim Tartary, and restore her to her royal throne: in default of which, I, Giglio, proclaim the said Padella sneak, traitor, humbug, usurper, and coward.I challenge him to meet me, with fists or with pistols, with battle-axe or sword, with blunderbuss or singlestick, alone or at the head of his army, on foot or on horseback; and will prove my words upon his wicked ugly body!'

'God save the King!' said Captain Hedzoff, executing a demivolte, two semilunes, and three caracols.

'Is that all?' said Padella, with the terrific calm of concentrated fury.

'That, sir, is all my royal master's message.Here is His Majesty's letter in autograph, and here is his glove, and if any gentleman of Crim Tartary chooses to find fault with His Majesty's expressions, I, Tuffskin Hedzoff, Captain of the Guard, am very much at his service,' and he waved his lance, and looked at the assembly all round.

'And what says my good brother of Paflagonia, my dear son's father-in-law, to this rubbish?' asked the King.

'The King's uncle hath been deprived of the crown he unjustly wore,' said Hedzoff gravely.'He and his axminister, Glumboso, are now in prison waiting the sentence of my royal master.

After the battle of Bombardaro--'

'Of what?' asked the surprised Padella.

'Of Bombardaro, where my liege, his present Majesty, would have performed prodigies of velour, but that the whole of his uncle's army came over to our side, with the exception of Prince Bulbo.'

'Ah! my boy, my boy, my Bulbo was no traitor!' cried Padella.

'Prince Bulbo, far from coming over to us, ran away, sir; but Icaught him.The Prince is a prisoner in our army, and the most terrific tortures await him if a hair of the Princess Rosalba's head is injured.'

'Do they?' exclaimed the furious Padella, who was now perfectly LIVID with rage.' Do they indeed? So much the worse for Bulbo.

I've twenty sons as lovely each as Bulbo.Not one but is as fit to reign as Bulbo.Whip, whack, flog, starve, rack, punish, torture Bulbo--break all his bones--roast him or flay him alive--pull all his pretty teeth out one by one! But justly dear as Bulbo is to me,--joy of my eyes, fond treasure of my soul!--Ha, ha, ha, ha! revenge is dearer still.Ho!

tortures, rack-men, executioners--light up the fires and make the pincers hot! get lots of boiling lead!--Bring out ROSALBA!'