"The same relation that the robin is to the waterbut," said that bird, conclusively. "Come on, let's get the Skipper to teach us how to dance a hornpipe," and he led the way from the table, quite disregarding the fact that the others had not finished. The Skipper, who had been quite as puzzled as the others were by these extraordinary conundrums, willingly agreed, and, first of all, danced a hornpipe himself very successfully, and then did his best to teach the others. The Dodo, with his short legs and big body, very soon gave up trying, and, thoroughly worn out by the exertion, lay panting on the shingle, while the Eteraedarium took his turn. He got along capitally, and the children laughed heartily at the queer capers which he cut. They were in the midst of the fun, when the Dodo suddenly jumped up, and, pointing excitedly up into the air, cried, "Look! Look! What's that?" They all looked in the direction which he indicated, and after a time discerned a tiny speck in the sky, which the Skipper declared, after watching some time, to be a balloon. "It's all red," cried Marjorie, whose eyesight was very keen. "What!" exclaimed the Dodo, trembling. "Red! Are you sure?" he inquired, anxiously. "Certain," said Marjorie. "Yes," said Dick, "I can see it now; it's quite red--a bright scarlet, in fact." [Illustration: "The Eteraedarium took his turn."] "The Little Panjandrum's State Balloon!" gasped the Dodo, in a terrible fright. "Oh, my dear friends, hide me somewhere! If he finds me I'm done for! I've--got--his gloves on--oh! How could I have been so foolish as to have taken them--it's all my pride--and now I shall have to suffer for it--oh!--oh!" And the Dodo, quite overcome with fear and anxiety, fell upon his knees and sobbed violently. Meanwhile the state balloon belonging to His Importance the Little Panjandrum rapidly drew near. CHAPTER XIV. THE DUFF AND DEM EXECUTIONER. "Can you see who's in it?" asked the Dodo, anxiously, when the balloon had drawn a little nearer. "Two gentlemen," declared Marjorie, whose eyesight was very keen. "And one is carrying such a funny stick, with a big hand at the top of it." "And the other one has just put on a hideous black mask, and has a curious kind of pole with a sort of scythe at the end," chimed in Dick. "What!" screamed the Dodo, "a black mask! Then it's the Lord High Executioner, and the other is the Court Glover. Oh dear! oh dear! what will become of me? I wish I'd never seen the wretched old gloves." The balloon by this time was almost directly overhead and was descending rapidly. Presently two ropes were thrown out, and a muffled voice cried, "Catch hold of these, please." Dick politely ran forward and hung on to one rope, while Marjorie and Fidge took the other. [Illustration: "The Court Glover arrives."] The occupants of the balloon then lowered some wooden steps, and gravely descended, the Lord High Executioner leading the way.