king, but the boy did not find his father amongst them, and so
went on to a third cavern.

The corridors all slanted downward, so that the farther they went the
lower into the earth they descended, and now they found the air hot and
close and difficult to breathe. Flaming torches were stuck into the
walls to give light to the workers, and these added to the oppressive
heat.

The third and lowest cavern was the last in the mines, and here were
many scores of slaves and many guards to keep them at work. So far,
none of the guards had paid any attention to Inga's party, but allowed
them to proceed as they would, and while the slaves cast curious
glances at the boy and girl and man and goat, they dared say nothing.
But now the boy walked up to some of the men of Pingaree and asked news
of his father, telling them not to fear the guards as he would protect
them from the whips.

Then he Teamed that King Kitticut had indeed been working in this very
cavern until the evening before, when King Gos had come and taken him
away--still loaded with chains.

"Seems to me," said King Rinkitink, when he heard this report, "that
Gos has carried your father away to Regos, to prevent us from rescuing
him. He may hide poor Kitticut in a dungeon, where we cannot find him."

"Perhaps you are right," answered the boy, "but I am determined to find
him, wherever he may be."

Inga spoke firmly and with courage, but he was greatly disappointed to
find that King Gos had been before him at the mines and had taken his
father away. However, he tried not to feel disheartened, believing he
would succeed in the end, in spite of all opposition. Turning to the
guards, he said:

"Remove the chains from these slaves and set them free."

The guards laughed at this order, and one of them brought forward a
handful of chains, saying: "His Majesty has commanded us to make you,
also, a slave, for you are never to leave these caverns again."

Then he attempted to place the chains on Inga, but the boy indignantly
seized them and broke them apart as easily as if they had been cotton
cords. When a dozen or more of the guards made a dash to capture him,
the Prince swung the end of the chain like a whip and drove them into a
corner, where they cowered and begged for mercy.

Stories of the marvelous strength of the boy Prince had already spread
to the mines of Regos, and although King Gos had told them that Inga
had been deprived of all his magic power, the g