“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.
"The Court Glover arrives."
The occupants of the balloon then lowered some wooden steps, and gravely descended, the Lord High Executioner leading the way.
The balloon, lightened of its occupants, bounded upwards again, and the children (who had the greatest difficulty in hanging on to the ropes) called to the Archæopteryx and the others to come to their aid. To their great surprise, however, they discovered that these creatures, taking the Dodo with them, quietly slipped away.
The Court Glover and the Executioner helped the children to fasten the balloon to one of the large palm trees, and then the Court Glover, folding his arms, turned to them abruptly and inquired, “Where is he?”