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.
They met no one on the streets and continued their flight until at last
they came to the City Wall, which had a blue-iron gate in it. Here was
a Blueskin guard, who had been peacefully slumbering when aroused by
the footsteps of the fugitives. "Halt!" cried the guard fiercely.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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