ve their condition.

"The poor people of Gilgad," said Rinkitink cheerfully, "are little
likely ever again to behold their King in the flesh, for my boat and my
rowers are gone with everything else. Let us face the fact that we are
imprisoned for life upon this island, and that our lives will be short
unless we can secure more to eat than is in this small sack."

"I'll not starve, for I can eat grass," remarked the goat in a pleasant
tone--or a tone as pleasant as Bilbil could assume.

"True, quite true," said the King. Then he seemed thoughtful for a
moment and turning to Inga he asked: "Do you think, Prince, that if the
worst comes, we could eat Bilbil?"

The goat gave a groan and cast a reproachful look at his master as he
said:

"Monster! Would you, indeed, eat your old friend and servant?"

"Not if I can help it, Bilbil," answered the King pleasantly. "You would
make a remarkably tough morsel, and my teeth are not as good as they
once were."

While this talk was in progress Inga suddenly remembered the three
pearls which his father had hidden under the tiled floor of the banquet
hall. Without doubt King Kitticut had been so suddenly surprised by the
invaders that he had found no opportunity to get the pearls, for
otherwise the fierce warriors would have been defeated and driven out of
Pingaree. So they must still be in their hiding place, and Inga
believed they would prove of great assistance to him and his comrades in
this hour of need. But the palace was a mass of ruins; perhaps he would
be unable now to find the place where the pearls were hidden.

He said nothing of this to Rinkitink, remembering that his father had
charged him to preserve the secret of the pearls and of their magic
powers. Nevertheless, the thought of securing the wonderful treasures of
his ancestors gave the boy new hope.

He stood up and said to the King:

"Let us return to the other end of Pingaree. It is more pleasant than
here in spite of the desolation of my father's palace. And there, if
anywhere, we shall discover a way out of our difficulties."

This suggestion met with Rinkitink's approval and the little party at
once started upon the return journey. As there was no occasion to delay
upon the way, they reached the big end of the island about the middle of
the day and at once began searching the ruins of the palace.

They found, to their satisfaction, that one room at the bottom of a
tower was still habitable, although t