he children had been there ever so many times before, and knew of
a little gap in the rocks where, if only their boat would drift near
enough, they could land, and clamber up to the roadway again. The boat,
however, passed the gap, and drifted straight underneath the cave, from
whence came a confused babel of sounds.

The children looked up, and a moment afterwards a crowd of the funniest
little people imaginable came to the edge and peered over.

"What rum little beggars!" cried Dick. "Just look at their eyes!"

"I do believe they are Brownies, or else Gnomes!" declared Marjorie, who
had read a great many fairy stories.

"Nonsense!" said Dick, with a superior air; "there are no such things
now-a-days."

[Illustration: "A rope ladder was let down."]

"Who says so?" shrieked the little people from the cave. "Come up here,
and we'll soon show you."

"Oh, yes, do!" cried Marjorie, clapping her hands; "I should love to see
them."

"I don't see how we are going to get up there," said Dick, dubiously;
"we haven't got a ladder."

"We have one," shouted the little people. "Shall we let it down?"

"Oh, yes, please," clamored Marjorie, and immediately afterwards a rope
ladder was let down, and one or two of the little men hung over the
ledge to steady it.

"Come along," cried Marjorie, leading the way, while Fidge followed
next, repeating over and over, with a delighted chuckle, "We
are going to see the Pan--jan--de--lum! We are going to see the
Pan--jan--de--lum!"

CHAPTER II.

THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.

At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a
crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and
fantastic costumes.

They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine,
with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny
little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big
bodies.

They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they
were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.

"So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the
children.

"I do," declared Marjorie, stoutly.

"Yes, and me do, too," said Fidge, looking about him delightedly.

"But," objected Dick, "I've always been told that fairies, and elves,
and gnomes, and things of that sort were merely myths, and existed only
in the imagination of story-tellers."

"He--he--he," giggled the l