merriment and magnificence. Speedy, in a suit of silver satin, with
knee breeches and silver buckles on his shoes, looked, if not as tall,
quite as fine as the bridegroom himself. Stampedro and Camy were
decked out in enormous collars of roses in honor of the bride, and
with so many Royalties present it was an affair long talked of and
remembered by those lucky enough to be present. Sir Hokus, recalling
his threatened wedding in Marshland, smiled with satisfaction and
happiness, for here, surely, was all the music, gaiety, beauty, and
pomp a Knight could ask for, and a bride so fair and lovely that he
wished himself a thousand times braver and more handsome than he was.
Ozma and Dorothy, cheered by the prospect of an early visit from the
royal couple, found themselves growing as fond of the Yellow Knight as
they had ever been of Sir Hokus; for in spite of his youth and gaiety
he was really the same gentle, thoughtful, delightful person he had
been always.
Speedy, looking down the long table lined with fine, friendly faces,
realized that it was going to be hard to say good-bye. The boy from
America had been knighted by both Kings and each had earnestly begged
him to live always in the Land of Oz, but when the last song had been
sung and the last toast to the bride had been given, Speedy leaned over
and spoke a few words to Ozma. He found he could not say good-bye at
all and wanted to slip away unnoticed and remember the bluff, merry
company just as it was now.
"Tell them I'll come back," he whispered to Ozma. "Be sure to tell
them that, but now I must be going home." Ozma, with an understanding
nod, touched her magic belt. One by one, like figures in a dream, the
courtly company faded out and next thing Speedy knew he was curled up
on the old leather sofa in Uncle Billy's workshop.
"Why, hello!" said the inventor, looking up from a smoking test tube.
"So there you are! I thought you'd be back soon. I knew nothing serious
could happen to a nephew of mine."
"Did you, Uncle Billy, now, did you?" Vastly complimented, Speedy
jumped up and gave him a regular bear hug. "But listen," he crowed
excitedly. "Nothing serious did happen, but _boy_ haven't I had neat
fun?" And with the words tumbling out faster than water from a sieve,
Speedy recounted the whole thrilling story of his adventures in the
Skyrocket and afterward.
At each astounding happening, Uncle Billy, who had dropped into an old
leather rocker, edged closer, so that by the time Speedy finished they
were knee to knee, staring tensely into each other's faces.
"I'm building another torpedo ship," declared Uncle Billy, feeling
around in his pocket for his pipe. "I was going down to rescue you, but
since you are here, we can go to Mars or any other place you say when
the new ship is finished." Speedy, his arm on the edge of the sofa and
his chin resting in the palm of his hand, looked dreamily through the
smoke of Uncle Billy's pipe.
"Well?" questioned the inventor, puffing away vigorously. "A penny for
your thoughts, my boy!"
"I was thinking," sighed Speedy slowly and thoughtfully, "I was
thinking that Mars would seem sorta dull after Oz."
"Ho! In that case," chuckled the inventor, who had been thinking the
same thing himself, "perhaps we'd better go to OZ!" And someway,
sometime, somehow, I believe they will, boys and girls, don't you?