ok of astonishment upon his face.

"What are you doing up there?" asked the prince.

"Nothing," said the boy. "If I moved the least little bit this pile of
casks would topple over, and I should be thrown to the ground."

"Well," returned the prince, "what of it?"

But just then he glanced at the ground and saw why the boy did not care
to tumble down. For in the earth were planted many swords, with their
sharp blades pointing upward, and to fall upon these meant serious
wounds and perhaps death.

"Oh, ho!" cried Marvel; "I begin to understand. You are a prisoner."

"Yes; as you will also be shortly," answered the boy. "And then you
will understand another thing--that you were very reckless ever to
enter this cave."

"Why?" inquired the prince, who really knew little of the world, and
was interested in everything he saw and heard.

"Because it is the stronghold of the robber king, and when you opened
that gate you caused a bell to ring far down on the hillside. So the
robbers are now warned that an enemy is in their cave, and they will
soon arrive to make you a prisoner, even as I am."

"Ah, I see!" said the prince, with a laugh, "It is a rather clever
contrivance; but having been warned in time I should indeed be foolish
to be caught in such a trap."

With this he half drew his sword, but thinking that robbers were not
worthy to be slain with its untarnished steel, he pushed it back into
the jeweled scabbard and looked around for another weapon. A stout
oaken staff lay upon the ground, and this he caught up and ran with it
from the cave, placing himself just beside the narrow opening that led
into this rock-encompassed plain. For he quickly saw that this was the
only way any one could enter or leave the place, and therefore knew the
robbers were coming up the narrow gorge even as he had himself done.

Soon they were heard stumbling along at a rapid pace, crying to one
another to make haste and catch the intruder. The first that came
through the opening received so sharp a blow upon the head from Prince
Marvel's oak staff that he fell to the ground and lay still, while the
next was treated in a like manner and fell beside his comrade.

Perhaps the thieves had not expected so sturdy an enemy, for they
continued to rush through the opening in the rocks and to fall beneath
the steady blows of the prince's staff until every one of them lay
senseless before the victor. At first they had piled themselves u