you, and blow him up again."

"We will have to mend the puncture first, your
Majesty," suggested one of the Loons, and the prisoners
noticed that none of them seemed surprised or shocked
at the sad accident to Panta.

"All right," grumbled the King. "Fetch Til to mend
him."

One or two ran away and presently returned, followed
by a lady Loon wearing huge, puffed-up rubber skirts.
Also she had a purple feather fastened to a wart on the
top of her head, and around her waist was a sash of
fibre-like vines, dried and tough, that looked like
strings.

"Get to work, Til," commanded King Bal. "Panta has
just exploded."

The lady Loon picked up the bunch of skin and
examined it carefully until she discovered a hole in
one foot. Then she pulled a strand of string from her
sash, and drawing the edges of the hole together. she
tied them fast with the string, thus making one of
those curious warts which the strangers had noticed on
so many Loons. Having done this, Til Loon tossed the
bit of skin to the other Loons and was about to go away
when she noticed the prisoners and stopped to inspect
them.