aid Werner.

Presently, however, they heard a noise as of thunder, and looking down
the path they saw a head glaring at them out of the rocks, undeniably a
dragon's head, with a huge jaw, red tongue, and rows of jagged teeth.

The boys stared aghast: they were in for an adventure this time, and no
mistake. Slowly the dragon raised himself out of the rocks, so that they
saw his whole scaly length, like a huge crocodile. Then he began to move
along the path away from them. He moved quite slowly now, so there was
no difficulty in keeping up with him; but his tail was so slimy and
slippery that they could not keep hold of it; moreover it wriggled
dreadfully whenever they tried to seize it. But Helmut had inherited
the cool courage of the Wartburg knights, and he was not going to be
overcome by difficulties.

With a wild Indian whoop he sprang on the dragon's back, and all the
other boys followed his example, except little Adolf who was timid and
began to set up a howl for his mother, I'm sorry to say. No sooner were
the boys on his back than the dragon set off at a fine trot up and down
the Dragon's Gorge, they had to hold on tight and to duck whenever the
rock projected overhead, or when they went sharply round a corner.

"Hurrah," cried Helmut waving a flag, "this is better than a motor ride.
Isn't he a jolly old fellow?"

At this remark the jolly old fellow stopped dead and began to snort out
fire and smoke, that made the boys cough and choke.

"Now stop that, will you!" said Helmut imperatively, "or we shall have
to slay you after all, that's what we came out for you know." He pointed
his gun at the head of the dragon as he spoke like a real hero.

The dragon began to tremble, and though they could only see his profile,
they thought he turned pale.

"Where's that other little boy?" he asked in a hollow voice. "If you
will give him to me for my dinner, I will spare you all."

Helmut laughed scornfully, "Thanks, old fellow," he said--"you're very
kind, I'm sure Adolf would be much obliged to you. I expect he's run
home to his mother long ago; he's a bit of a funk, we shan't take him
with us another time."

"He looked so sweet and juicy and tender," said the dragon sighing, "I
never get a child for dinner nowadays! Woe is me," he sniffed.

"You are an old cannibal," said the boys horrified, and mistaking the
meaning of the word cannibal. "Hurry up now and give us another ride,
it's first-rate fun this!"

The