and just when it had finished the very last little halfpenny worth, which was short measure, because the milkman's nerves were quite upset, the red dragon came down the street looking for the manticora. it edged off when it saw him coming, for it was not at all the dragon-fighting kind; and, seeing no other door open, the poor, hunted creature took refuge in the general post office, and there the dragon found it, trying to conceal itself among the ten o'clock mail. the dragon fell on the manticora at once, and the mail was no defense. the mewings were heard all over the town. all the kitties and the milk the manticora had had seemed to have strengthened its mew wonderfully. then there was a sad silence, and presently the people whose windows looked that way saw the dragon come walking down the steps of the general post office spitting fire and smoke, together with tufts of manticora fur, and the fragments of the registered letters. things were growing very serious. however popular the king might become during the week, the dragon was sure to do something on saturday to upset the people's loyalty.