[Illustration] The little audience grouped about the throne gazed at them expectantly, and Titania thought the leader winked at her. But apparently he did not notice anyone, and least of all Dragonfel. His whole attention seemed to be centred on his band. "Are ve all here alretty?" he asked. "Yah!" came in chorus. "Vell," said he, "I vill broceed der gall der roll-gall. 'Louie Knobloch!'" "I vass here," said the one with the medals next to him. "Peter Dinkelspeil!" "Here I vass." "Hermann Sweinskopf!" "He's peen here." "Jacob Schnittger!" "Bresend early." "Emil Muller!" There was no response, and all the rest turned and looked at the leader in surprise. "Emil Muller!" he repeated, and then, suddenly recollecting something, went on: "Oh, oxguse me! I vass here. Heinrich von Strauss! Heinrich von Strauss! Vere iss Heiny von Strauss?" "He vass py his bedt sick," said Louie Knobloch. "Vat's der madder mit der bedt?" demanded Emil Muller. "For vhy iss id sick?" "Nein, nein, keppelmeister," said Louie Knobloch. "Id iss Heiny vat iss sick. He iss sick by der inside off der bedt." "Vhy iss he sick?" asked Emil Muller. "Yestertay," explained Louie Knobloch, "he vend on der bicnig, und he eated four dozen charlotte roosters, und he gets der collywopples." He illustrated his remarks by significantly rubbing his stomach. "He vas not in goot contition to plow ven ve left." [Illustration] "Anyvone vot eadts charlotte roosters ought der be sick," said Emil Muller decidedly. "He shoult eat dem vhen dey iss a egg. Blay!" All raised their instruments to their mouths, but he held up a warning finger. "Anodder t'ing," he went on to Knobloch. "You dell Heinrich off he vass nod here dermorrow morning ad half basd four in der afdernoon, vhen I gall der rehearsal, arous mit him! Are you retty?" "Yah!" "Den plow yourselfs!" Then began a wild riot of discord, whereupon Emil Muller quickly took his own dented offending cornet from his mouth. "Ve vill nod blay dot biece," he announced. "Id iss no goot." "Vhy don'd you wride some musigs, keppelmeister?" suggested Peter Dinkelspeil. "I voult, bud I'm doo pusy," said Emil Muller. "Led us renter insteadt dot peaudiful biece fon Vawgner, 'Der Glock on der Rhine.'" "Vatch, keppelmeister," corrected Louie Knobloch. "Vatch vat?" inquired Emil Muller. "Id iss nod a glock," explained Louie Knobloch. "Id iss a vatch on der Rhine." "A glock all gan see iss besser," said Emil Muller, and in the midst of their second attempt Hermann Swinescopf raised his hand and shouted in the effort to make himself heard above the din: "Shtob der pandt! Shtob der pandt! I am shbeaking!" "Vot's der madder?" asked Emil Muller. "Vass iss der biece you say ve blay?" questioned Hermann Sweinskopf. "I say 'Der Glock on der Rhine' fon Vawgner," replied Emil Muller. They started once more, but again came the vigorous interruption from Hermann Sweinskopf: "Shtob der pandt! Shtob der pandt! I am shbeaking!"