The word _little_ was spoken so softly as to be quite indistinct. "The what!" cried d.i.c.k.

"Sh! the _little_ Panjandrum," said the gnome, speaking the word almost inaudibly.

"What do you say it like that for?" asked the children.

"Well, you see, his Magnificence and Serene Importance is somewhat sensitive on the subject; there is the GRAND Panjandrum, you know."

"Oh, I see," said d.i.c.k, "and the other chap doesn't like to take a back seat, that's it, is it? Well, who is the Little Panjandrum, anyhow?"

"Sh! sh!" cried the gnomes, looking about them nervously. "You really mustn't say _little_ as loudly as that. Supposing any one heard you?"

"Well, what if they did?" asked d.i.c.k.

"O! His Serene Importance would be terribly angry, and perhaps would----"

What the conclusion of the sentence was to have been the children never knew, for at that moment there was a loud clattering noise in the pa.s.sage leading from the cave, and a moment afterwards four extraordinary figures came in sight.

They were mounted upon ostriches, and one of them, more richly caparisoned than the others, had a kind of canopy attached to his trappings, beneath which sat a stern-faced little man with an elaborate turban and head-dress. He wore also a very curious collar, from which depended a large gold ornament of curious design. He carried in one hand a long pipe, and with the other guided his strange steed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "What do you know about the Dodo?"]

The others of the party, who were evidently his attendants, each carried a banner emblazoned with mysterious signs and characters.

The silver bells attached to the head of the ostrich, and on the top of the canopy over the grandee, tinkled merrily as he came forward.

"In the name of the little Panjandrum," he shouted, in a loud voice, and immediately all the gnomes bowed respectfully almost down to the ground.

"His Serene Importance and Most Magnificent Greatness is grievously distressed."

The gnomes all brought forth little pocket-handkerchiefs, and began to cry.

"The Dodo presented to His Worshipful Gorgeousness by the Grand Panjandrum himself has escaped!"

The gnomes all threw up their hands in dismay.

"Why, we saw it," cried Marjorie, excitedly. "Didn't we, d.i.c.k?"

The little man on the ostrich turned around sharply, and after staring at the children for a moment, shouted--

"Who are you?"

"I am d.i.c.k Verrinder, sir, and this is my sister Marjorie, and our little brother Fidge," said d.i.c.k politely. "We are spending our summer holiday at Mrs. Lawrence's cottage on the other side of the cliff. The tide rose very high this morning, and we----"

"Don't tell me all that nonsense. What do you know about the Dodo?" said the little man, impatiently.

"Why, we met it floating about on a chair, and it told us that it was going to the Equator to meet a--a--er--a----"

"Well?"

"It was something with a very long name," stammered d.i.c.k; "I can't quite remember what."

"Look here," said the little man, bending forward excitedly, "that story won't do for me. I am the Amba.s.sador Extraordinary of his Magnificence the little Panjandrum, and you tell me that you have seen the Dodo; that is enough. Now then! Where is it? It's no use telling me that it has gone off to keep an appointment with something with a long name. I say, where is the bird? If you don't instantly produce that Dodo I shall take you before the Court of Inquisitives, and let them deal with you."

"But I tell you," began d.i.c.k, while Marjorie clung to his arm in affright, and Fidge scowled angrily at hearing his idolized big brother spoken to in this peremptory manner, "I tell you that we only saw it for a----"

"That's quite enough. Don't argue the point. I shall give you one week from now, and if at the end of that time you do not appear at the Palace of the little Panjandrum with the Dodo, I shall apply to the Grand Panjandrum himself to have you subtrans.e.xdistricated, so there!"

"But----"

"Not another word. Ink! Paper! Pens!" he commanded, getting off his ostrich and squatting down before a flat stone, while the little gnomes ran hither and thither, getting in each other's way, and tripping and stumbling about in all directions in their eagerness to do the Amba.s.sador's bidding.

"Sit down!" he ordered, and the children sat down on the ground in front of him. There was a slight difficulty about the ink at this point, for the gnomes, not being quite strong enough to carry the inkstand, turned it over on its side to roll it forward, and of course spilled all the ink. They managed, however, to gather up some of it in their caps, and so kept the Amba.s.sador supplied.

"Now then! Know all men by these presents," he began, writing the words down as he spake them.

"He's going to give us some presents," whispered Fidge, giving d.i.c.k a nudge. d.i.c.k shook his head reprovingly, and the little man continued--

"That whereas three children, named respectively--what did you say your name was?"

"Richard Greville Verrinder, Sir."

"Richard Greville Verrinder, and--what's your sister's name?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: "d.i.c.k suddenly shot up to the height of over six feet."]

"Marjorie Evelyn Verrinder."

"Marjorie Evelyn Verrinder, and----"

"Harold Ellis Verrinder," prompted d.i.c.k.

"Who's that?" inquired the Amba.s.sador, sharply.

"My little brother," was the reply.

"You said his name was Fidge."

"Oh, yes, but that's his nickname, you know."

"I don't know anything of the sort. Now then, just keep quiet while I finish this doc.u.ment. There," he continued, when he had finished writing some mysterious-looking words on the paper, and had attached two enormous red seals to it--"that's your warrant for arresting the Dodo, when you have found him; and it is also an authority from the little Panjandrum for you at any time to become any size that you wish; to float through the air at will; and to live under water if necessary. So you have everything in your favor, and I shall expect the Dodo back in less than a week. Do you hear? Now I'm off."

The little man mounted his ostrich, and without saying a word more to any one, he and his followers rode off in the direction from whence they had come.

"Well, I never!" said d.i.c.k, picking up the scrawl which had fallen at his feet. "Here's a go! We've got to find that beastly old Dodo in less than a week, or be--what was it?"

"I don't know," said Marjorie, dolefully, "it was something very long, and sounded dreadful."

"But what's that he said about our being able to be any size that we wished? I'm sure I wish I was as tall as father."