ached the top he pressed aside the leaves and saw a great fleet of
boats upon the shore--strange boats, with banners that he had never seen
before. Turning to look upon his father's palace, he found it surrounded
by a horde of enemies. Then Inga knew the truth: that the island had
been invaded by the barbaric warriors from the north. He grew so faint
from the terror of it all that he might have fallen had he not wound his
arms around a limb and clung fast until the dizzy feeling passed away.
Then with his sash he bound himself to the limb and again ventured to
look out through the leaves.

The warriors were now engaged in carrying King Kitticut and Queen Garee
and all their other captives down to the boats, where they were thrown
in and chained one to another. It was a dreadful sight for the Prince to
witness, but he sat very still, concealed from the sight of anyone below
by the bower of leafy branches around him. Inga knew very well that he
could do nothing to help his beloved parents, and that if he came down
he would only be forced to share their cruel fate.

Now a procession of the Northmen passed between the boats and the
palace, bearing the rich furniture, splendid draperies and rare
ornaments of which the royal palace had been robbed, together with such
food and other plunder as they could lay their hands upon. After this,
the men of Regos and Coregos threw ropes around the marble domes and
towers and hundreds of warriors tugged at these ropes until the domes
and towers toppled and fell in ruins upon the ground. Then the walls
themselves were torn down, till little remained of the beautiful palace
but a vast heap of white marble blocks tumbled and scattered upon the
ground.

Prince Inga wept bitter tears of grief as he watched the ruin of his
home; yet he was powerless to avert the destruction. When the palace had
been demolished, some of the warriors entered their boats and rowed
along the coast of the island, while the others marched in a great body
down the length of the island itself. They were so numerous that they
formed a line stretching from shore to shore and they destroyed every
house they came to and took every inhabitant prisoner.

The pearl fishers who lived at the lower end of the island tried to
escape in their boats, but they were soon overtaken and made prisoners,
like the others. Nor was there any attempt to resist the foe, for the
sharp spears and pikes and swords of the invaders terrified