tle was quite different from any he had seen, either in Babylon
or in the other countries he had visited. It seemed to be made of
nothing but towers, and every tower had a steep pointed roof, so high
that you would have thought it reached up to heaven itself. In the tower
nearest him was a door of shining steel, and on top of a row of steps
above it was a column, from which hung a horn of ivory edged with gold.
Under the horn some words were cut deep into the column, and mounting
the steps the knight read:

'This is the castle of the peerless Lindarasse, whose door will never
open save to him who blows the horn. Yet let him beware who seeks to
blow it, for if the door _should_ open he will find it is guarded by
fierce and cruel porters, and his life will pay for his rash curiosity.'

The Knight of the Sun laughed out at the thought that any such threats
could stop his going wherever he pleased, and, seizing the horn, blew so
powerful a blast that the sound rang through the whole island. In an
instant the gates of steel burst open, and between them stood a giant
with an iron club in one hand, and in the other a chain which was
fastened round the neck of a serpent. Now in all the world there was no
serpent more horrible than this, for it did not wriggle along the ground
as serpents generally do, but advanced erect, its head higher than a man
seated on a horse, while it trailed besides a tail ten feet behind it.
At the sight of the young man it lashed its tail so violently that the
earth trembled as if with an earthquake, while its forky tongue darted
in and out with a deafening hissing noise.

The few knights who had dared to blow the horn had been so frightened
at this terrible creature that they had stood as if frozen, and thus the
giant killed them with his club without any trouble. He, of course,
expected this knight to behave like the rest, but to his surprise the
young man remained quietly where he was. Then the giant dropped the
chain and the snake began to mount the steps, opening its mouth wide
enough to swallow a man and showing its long and yellow fangs. The
Knight of the Sun swung his sword in the air and let it fall on the
serpent's neck with a force that seemed as if it must have severed its
head from its body; but to his amazement the weapon bounded back as if
it had been made of wood, though the snake was for the moment half
stunned and was unable to throw itself on its prey. However, in another
moment i