"But she does not expect to be looked at," he thought; "and I _won't_!" On the other hand, he determined to look at the Firedrake; for, of course, he had no delicacy about spying on _him_, the brute.
The prince clapped the glass to his eye, stared out of window, and there, sure enough, he saw the Firedrake.

He was floating about in a sea of molten lava, on the top of a volcano.

There he was, swimming and diving for pleasure, tossing up the flaming waves, and blowing fountains of fire out of his nostrils, like a whale spouting! The prince did not like the looks of him.
{The Prince looking through the telescope: p59.jpg} "With all my cap of darkness, and my shoes of swiftness, and my sword of sharpness, I never could get near that beast," he said; "and if I _did_ stalk him, I could not hurt him.

Poor little Alphonso! poor Enrico! what plucky fellows they were! I fancied that there was no such thing as a Firedrake: he's not in the Natural History books, and I thought the boys were only making fun, and would be back soon, safe and sound.

How horrid being too clever makes one! And now, what _am_ I to do ?" {The Remora: p60.jpg} What was he to do, indeed?
And what would you have done?
Bring the horns and tail he must, or perish in the adventure.