loudly, as Jenkins raced
against a new danger. Whatever was causing those crashing sounds was
also weakening the foundations of the castle. Water was beginning to
pour in a perfect torrent from many cracks. The stairs to the floor
above was but twenty feet from where he had been chained, but even in
that short distance the water rose another foot.

* * * * *

Jenkins took the wide stone steps three at a time, and raced like wild
around the short curves. He had oriented himself as they brought him
down, and he knew exactly where he was going. Danger lay at the very top
of the stairs, for here they were heavily guarded. Yet, when he reached
the head of the stairs, not a soul was to be seen.

He became cautious, then. Being weaponless, Jenkins knew he would have
to rely on stealth. Slowly he advanced, until he was at the very
threshold of the large banquet hall. Now he heard voices, voices raised
in anger.

The loudest, most shrill of these voices, the one who commanded
attention, was that of Lucretia Borgia: "You fools! Dolt heads! When
this is over I shall have you all flayed alive. Did not any of you
recognize the king of the giants as the one who was fighting the
stranger? Now they are _bowling_ against us. And who among us can
challenge them?"

"I can, baby." Jenkins recognized that voice. It belonged to Griffin.
"Duck pins, ten pins or any other kind. I'll match my hook with the best
of them."

There was a short interval of silence. When Lucretia broke it, she spoke
in more natural tones: "It isn't the giants I'm worried about. I have
seen them bowl. They rely on strength only. The dwarfs are the ones I'm
worried about. We beat them the last time because they used the man from
Earth and we got him drunk. They are cunning little men. Are you sure,
my friend, that you have the skill?"

But Jenkins didn't wait to hear the answer. He knew Griffin had the
skill. For Griffin, in his varied and checkered career, had once won an
A.B.C. tournament. It was the clue by which he had been able to trace
Griffin in his chase across the continent.

Jenkins peered into the hall. The men were all clustered around the
woman, listening intently to her words. Silently, he fled from the
banquet hall, and in a single leap crossed the open courtyard. From
there on he threw caution to the winds. Oddly enough he could have
walked, for not a single guard was to be seen even at the gate to the
drawbrid