angings and into the niche behind for its full length.

Bertha Kircher, finding her struggles futile and realizing that she
must conserve her strength for some chance opportunity of escape,
desisted from her efforts to break from the grasp of Prince Metak
as the fellow fled with her through the dimly lighted corridors
of the palace. Through many chambers the prince fled, bearing his
prize. It was evident to the girl that, though her captor was the
king's son, he was not above capture and punishment for his deeds,
as otherwise he would not have shown such evident anxiety to escape
with her, as well as from the results of his act.

From the fact that he was constantly turning affrighted eyes behind
them, and glancing suspiciously into every nook and corner that
they passed, she guessed that the prince's punishment might be both
speedy and terrible were he caught.

She knew from their route that they must have doubled back several
times although she had quite lost all sense of direction; but she
did not know that the prince was as equally confused as she, and
that really he was running in an aimless, erratic manner, hoping
that he might stumble eventually upon a place of refuge.

Nor is it to be wondered at that this offspring of maniacs should
have difficulty in orienting himself in the winding mazes of a
palace designed by maniacs for a maniac king. Now a corridor turned
gradually and almost imperceptibly in a new direction, again one
doubled back upon and crossed itself; here the floor rose gradually
to the level of another story, or again there might be a spiral
stairway down which the mad prince rushed dizzily with his burden.
Upon what floor they were or in what part of the palace even Metak
had no idea until, halting abruptly at a closed door, he pushed
it open to step into a brilliantly lighted chamber filled with
warriors, at one end of which sat the king upon a great throne;
beside this, to the girl's surprise, she saw another throne where
was seated a huge lioness, recalling to her the words of Xanila
which, at the time, had made no impression on her: "But he had many
other queens, nor were they all human."

At sight of Metak and the girl, the king rose from his throne and
started across the chamber, all semblance of royalty vanishing in
the maniac's uncontrollable passion. And as he came he shrieked
orders and commands at the top of his voice. No sooner had Metak so
unwarily opened the door to this horn