tink
laughed merrily at the Nome King's comical appearance; but Kaliko was
muttering and growling as he picked himself up and struggled to pull the
battered crown from his head, and it was evident that he was not in the
least amused. Indeed, Inga could see that the King was very angry, and
the boy knew that the incident was likely to turn Kaliko against the
entire party.

[Illustration]

The Nome King sent Klik for another crown and ordered his workmen to
repair the one that was damaged. While he waited for the new crown he
sat regarding his visitors with a scowling face, and this made Inga more
uneasy than ever. Finally, when the new crown was placed upon his head,
King Kaliko said: "Follow me, strangers!" and led the way to a small
door at one end of the cavern.

Inga and Rinkitink followed him through the doorway and found themselves
standing on a balcony that overlooked an enormous domed cave--so
extensive that it seemed miles to the other side of it. All around this
circular cave, which was brilliantly lighted from an unknown source,
were arches connected with other caverns.

Kaliko took a gold whistle from his pocket and blew a shrill note that
echoed through every part of the cave. Instantly nomes began to pour in
through the side arches in great numbers, until the immense space was
packed with them as far as the eye could reach. All were armed with
glittering weapons of polished silver and gold, and Inga was amazed that
any King could command so great an army.

They began marching and countermarching in very orderly array until
another blast of the gold whistle sent them scurrying away as quickly as
they had appeared. And as soon as the great cave was again empty Kaliko
returned with his visitors to his own royal chamber, where he once more
seated himself upon his ivory throne.

"I have shown you," said he to Inga, "a part of my bodyguard. The royal
armies, of which this is only a part, are as numerous as the sands of
the ocean, and live in many thousands of my underground caverns. You
have come here thinking to force me to give up the captives of King Gos
and Queen Cor, and I wanted to convince you that my power is too mighty
for anyone to oppose. I am told that you are a wizard, and depend upon
magic to aid you; but you must know that the nomes are not mortals, and
understand magic pretty well themselves, so if we are obliged to fight
magic with magic the chances are that we are a hundred times more
po