The younger two advanced and caught and held Bob’s hands, their fingers upon his pulse. The eldest produced a tiny phial of thick, opalescent liquid. “Put out your tongue,” he said to the boy. The lad unhesitatingly obeyed, and the aged and trembling chemist let a drop of the viscid liquid fall upon the tip of the youngster’s quivering organ of speech. The effect was instantaneous and startling, if not marvelous. Bob let out a mad bellow of pain, shaking his head and writhing and drooling. The mayor changed countenance and deprecatingly shook his head. Fitz Mee groaned aloud. “Draw in your tongue and shut your mouth and swallow!” the three savants simultaneously yelled at the boy. Bob reluctantly did as he was told; and immediately, instantaneously he was restored to normal size. “Whoopee!” shouted the chemists, embracing one another and indulging in mad capers and other manifestations of insane joy. “A success! A complete success!” “Thank goodness!” murmured Fitz Mee. “A success!” “Yes,” the mayor muttered drily, grimly, “a remarkable success—a _too_ remarkable success! My good chemists, destroy what you have left of that stuff, and make no more at your peril. I’m not going to have any more _boys_ manufactured in this country—a noisy, disturbing lot! You hear me!” Then to Fitz Mee: “You take your departure from the public square at one o’clock, remember. The state balloon will be there in readiness. You’re excused.” When the two comrades were again at Fitz Mee’s residence, Bob remarked ingenuously: “Fitz, while you’re getting ready I’m going to gather up some of the gold nuggets I saw on the shore of the brook.” “Better not,” Fitz replied, without looking up from his work. “Why?” “I wouldn’t, if I were you—that’s all.” “Well, why?” “They’re not yours.” “I know. But you goblins make no use of them; and it wouldn’t be wrong—wouldn’t be stealing, would it?” “No,” Fitz Mee mumbled, “it wouldn’t be robbery, exactly. But you heard what the mayor said.” “What about?” “That you weren’t to take anything away with you that you didn’t bring here with you.” “Yes, I heard him. Is that what he meant?” “To be sure.” “Well, why does he object to my taking a few old nuggets of gold that none of you will use?” said Bob peevishly. “For this reason, Bob: you take that gold back to Yankeeland, and tell where you got it—” “But I won’t tell where I got it,” the lad interrupted. Unheeding, the goblin continued: “And your money-mad people will search out our country and conquer and ruin us.” “Oh, pshaw, Fitz!” “What I say is true, Bob.”