As the leader sprang forward his gleaming eyes caught the play of the
fountain and he rushed toward it and drank eagerly of the sparkling
water. Many of the other Phanfasms drank, too, in order to clear
their dry and dusty throats. Then they stood around and looked at
one another with simple, wondering smiles.
The First and Foremost saw Ozma and her companions beyond the
fountain, but instead of making an effort to capture her he merely
stared at her in pleased admiration of her beauty--for he had
forgotten where he was and why he had come there.
But now the Grand Gallipoot arrived, rushing from the tunnel with a
hoarse cry of mingled rage and thirst. He too saw the fountain and
hastened to drink of its forbidden waters. The other Growleywogs were
not slow to follow suit, and even before they had finished drinking
the Chief of the Whimsies and his people came to push them away, while
they one and all cast off their false heads that they might slake
their thirst at the fountain.
When the Nome King and General Guph arrived they both made a dash to
drink, but the General was so mad with thirst that he knocked his King
over, and while Roquat lay sprawling upon the ground the General
drank heartily of the Water of Oblivion.
This rude act of his General made the Nome King so angry that for a
moment he forgot he was thirsty and rose to his feet to glare upon the
group of terrible warriors he had brought here to assist him. He saw
Ozma and her people, too, and yelled out:
"Why don't you capture them? Why don't you conquer Oz, you idiots?
Why do you stand there like a lot of dummies?"
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