for some time."

"Are there many others in the castle besides you and Zog?" asked
Aquareine.

"Dozens of us. Perhaps hundreds. I've never counted them," said the
boy. "But Zog is the only master; all the rest of us are in the same
class, so there is no jealousy among the slaves."

"What is Zog like?" Cap'n Bill questioned.

At this the boy laughed, and the laugh was full of mischief. "If I
could tell you what Zog is like, it would take me a year," was the
reply. "But I can't tell you. Every one has a different idea of what
he's like, and soon you will see him yourselves."

"Are you fond of him?" asked Trot.

"If I said yes, I'd get a good whipping," declared Sacho. "I am
commanded to hate Zog, and being a good servant, I try to obey. If
anyone dared to like Zog, I am sure he'd be instantly fed to the
turtles; so I advise you not to like him."

"Oh, we won't," promised Trot.

"But we're keeping the master waiting, and that is also a dangerous
thing to do," continued the boy. "If we don't hurry up, Zog will
begin to smile, and when he smiles there is trouble brewing."

The queen sighed. "Lead the way, Sacho," she said. "We will follow."