their part of the mountain,
for they had, as they supposed, not knowing of the solid wall close
behind, broken a passage through into it. But the readiest outlet the
water could find had turned out to be the tunnel they had made to the
king's house, the possibility of which catastrophe had not occurred to
the young miner until he had laid his ear to the floor of the hall.

What was then to be done? The house appeared in danger of falling, and
every moment the torrent was increasing.

'We must set out at once,' said the king. 'But how to get at the
horses!'

'Shall I see if we can manage that?' said Curdie.

'Do,' said the king.

Curdie gathered the men-at-arms, and took them over the garden wall,
and so to the stables. They found their horses in terror; the water
was rising fast around them, and it was quite time they were got out.
But there was no way to get them out, except by riding them through the
stream, which was now pouring from the lower windows as well as the
door. As one horse was quite enough for any man to manage through such
a torrent, Curdie got on the king's white charger and, leading the way,
brought them all in safety to the rising ground.

'Look, look, Curdie!' cried Irene, the moment that, having dismounted,
he led the horse up to the king.

Curdie did look, and saw, high in the air, somewhere about the top of
the king's house, a great globe of light shining like the purest silver.

'Oh!' he cried in some consternation, 'that is your grandmother's lamp!
We must get her out. I will go an find her. The house may fall, you
know.'

'My grandmother is in no danger,' said Irene, smiling.

'Here, Curdie, take the princess while I get on my horse,' said the
king.

Curdie took the princess again, and both turned their eyes to the globe
of light. The same moment there shot from it a white bird, which,
descending with outstretched wings, made one circle round the king an
Curdie and the princess, and then glided up again. The light and the
pigeon vanished together.

'Now, Curdie!' said the princess, as he lifted her to her father's
arms, 'you see my grandmother knows all about it, and isn't frightened.
I believe she could walk through that water and it wouldn't wet her a
bit.'

'But, my child,' said the king, 'you will be cold if you haven't
Something more on. Run, Curdie, my boy, and fetch anything you can lay
your hands on, to keep the princess warm. We have a long ride before
us.'