l, suddenly. "We ought
to reach some place where men dwell before long, else we shall be
obliged to spend the night among these rocks."

"And then perhaps the wolves will attack us," said Nerle, cheerfully,
"and tear us into pieces with their sharp teeth and claws."

But even as he spoke they rode around a turn in the path and saw a
sight that made them pause in astonishment. For just before them rose
the castle of King Terribus, and along both sides of the marble walk
leading up to it were ranged the lines of giants, exactly as they had
stood in the morning.

Nerle turned around in his saddle. Sure enough, there were the Gray
Men in the rear--stepping from behind every boulder and completely
filling the rocky pathway.

"Well, what shall we do?" asked the esquire; "fight?"

"No, indeed!" returned Prince Marvel, laughing at his friend's eager
face. "It appears the path we chose winds around in a circle, and so
has brought us back to our starting-point. So we must make the best of
a bad blunder and spend another night with our ugly friend King
Terribus."

They rode forward through the rows of giants to the castle, where the
ever-courteous servants took their horses and escorted them to their
former handsome apartments with every mark of respect.

No one seemed in the least surprised at their speedy return, and this
fact at first puzzled Nerle, and then made him suspicious.

After bathing and dusting their clothing they descended to the banquet
hall, where King Terribus sat upon his gray stone throne and welcomed
them with quiet courtesy.

The sight of the king's crimson skin and deformed face sent a thrill of
repugnance through Prince Marvel, and under the impulse of a sudden
thought he extended his hand toward Terribus and whispered a magic word
which was unheard by any around him.

Nerle did not notice the prince's swift gesture nor the whispered word;
but he was staring straight at Terribus at the time, and he saw with
surprise the eye on the top of the king's head move down toward his
forehead, and the eye in the center of his forehead slide slightly
toward the left, and the elephant-like nose shrink and shorten at the
same time. Also it seemed to him that the king's skin was not so
crimson in color as before, and that a thin growth of hair had covered
his head.

However, no one else appeared to notice any change--least of all
Terribus--so Nerle seated himself at the table and began to eat.

"It