Almost instantly at the Red Spirit’s startling announcement Dragonfel had sprung up from his throne stiff and rigid, and was regarding the embryo musicians with a glare of peculiar malevolence.
“The Brownies!” he involuntarily ejaculated. “I thought they played too well for a German band!”
Queen Titania, Dame Drusilda, Violet, and Daffodil had also risen as though they had received an electric shock. Their breath came fast in their sudden agitation. They started to go to the musicians, but Wolfinger, Mandrake, and Snoutpimple roughly grasped them, and held them back.
Realizing the failure of a deception that might have achieved success had it not been for the sly spying of the malicious Red Spirit, Emil Muller, otherwise King Stanislaus, turned and faced Dragonfel, his very attitude hurling a strong challenge of defiance.
Knowing that further subterfuge would be useless, the doughty monarch in a flash whisked off his false nose and moustache, and slipped from his baggy clothes. Likewise Louie Knobloch, Peter Dinkelspeil, Hermann Sweinskopf, and Jacob Schnittger removed their disguises, and the unmistakable features of the Sailor, Policeman, German, and Irishman were revealed. “Yes, we are the Brownies,” cried King Stanislaus, “come to demand the instant surrender of Queen Titania and her companions.”
“Idiots!” snarled Dragonfel, in a fury. “You have rushed to your destruction!” And he clapped his hands together, and shouted to his followers around him: “What ho, there! Summon everyone in the palace! We’ll see that these presumptuous sprites meet with fitting punishment.”
The Demon Usher half flew, and half ran, with even more celerity than usual, to do his bidding. With teeth showing, and fists clenched, the infuriated enchanter advanced threateningly toward the intrepid members of the band who looked at him without even so much as flinching.
“Have a care!” warned King Stanislaus. “Beware of the Brownies’ mystic power!” And, turning to the Sailor, he added: “Quick! the signal!”
Instantly the Sailor blew a deafening blast upon his cornet, and in a trice there was the pounding of many fists upon the outer doors, with crashing sounds as though heavy logs were being directed with the force of many hands against them.
