t _rally_, will be happy to meet you in the
old place for a return-match. I not being handy with the pen, the
Giant hopes you will excuse mistakes and bad writing."

Dick simply gazed with amazement.

"If ever I thought an enemy was killed and done for, it was that Giant,"
said he. "Why, I made mere mince-collops of him!"

However, he could not refuse a challenge, not to speak of his duty to rid
the world of so greedy and odious a tyrant. Dick, therefore, took the
usual things (which the king had secretly restored), but first he tried
them--putting on the Cap of Darkness before the glass, in which he could
not see himself. On second thoughts, he considered it unfair to take the
cap. All the other articles were in working order. Jaqueline on this
occasion followed him in the disguise of a crow, flying overhead.

On reaching the cavern--a huge tunnel in the rock--where the Giant lived,
Ricardo blew a blast on the horn which hung outside, and in obedience to
a written notice, knocked also with a mace provided by the Giant for that
purpose. Presently he heard heavy footsteps sounding along the cavern,
and the Giant came out. He was above the common height for giants, and
his whole face and body were seamed over with little red lines, crossing
each other like tartan. These were marks of encounters, in which he had
been cut to bits and come together again; for this was his peculiarity,
which made him so dangerous. If you cut off his head, he went on just as
before, only without it; and so about everything else. By dint of magic,
he could put his head on again, just as if it had been his hat, if you
gave him time enough. On the last occasion of their meeting, Ricardo had
left him in a painfully scattered condition, and thought he was done for.
But now, except that a bird had flown away with the little finger of his
left hand and one of his ears, the Giant was as comfortable as anyone
could be in his situation.

"Mornin' sir," he said to Dick, touching his forehead with his hand.
"Glad to see you looking so well. No bad feeling, I hope, on either
side?"

"None on mine, certainly," said Ricardo, holding out his hand, which the
Giant took and shook; "but Duty is Duty, and giants must go. The modern
world has no room for them."

"That's hearty," said the Giant; "I like a fellow of your kind. Now,
shall we toss for corners?"

"All right!" said Dick, calling "Heads" and winning. He took the corner
with