d follow their
prince through fire and water.

Prince Daimur fearing that they might alarm the witch, ascended the
steps, and holding up his hand begged them to remember that their safe
deliverance lay in making no noise, but getting away as quickly as they
could.

Then he instructed them to follow the Princess Maya, who led them all
around to the end of the Magician's house, where in the little bay lay
Prince Redmond's ship, safely moored.

Immediately, at a word from Prince Redmond, the sailors jumped to their
places, hoisted the sails and made ready to leave the dock, while
Daimur and Prince Tasmir helped the ladies aboard.

There was a good breeze, and in five minutes the sails had filled and
they were drawing away from the island, when they heard a loud hissing
sound. Looking towards the castle they saw coiled on the dock they had
just left a monstrous rattlesnake.

"It is the witch's daughter," cried Princess Maya, "we have awakened
her and she has come out through the window."

At that moment the snake shook its rattles. They made an extremely
loud, shrill sound, and in a flash, from nowhere apparently, the old
witch appeared on the dock with her cat on her shoulder.

When she saw them she screamed and ran into the house.

"For mercy's sake, have you any guns?" cried Daimur to Prince Redmond.
"We shall surely need them now, for she is going to call back the
Magician."

"Yes," said Redmond, "unless they have been taken away, or have
rusted," and hastily giving a few orders to some of the sailors he
commanded the others to follow him and ran to the cabin. On looking
into the armory he found that the guns were all there, as bright and
shining as when he saw them last, and calling upon everyone to help him
he began to distribute them about.

When they again reached the deck they found that Daimur had been right
about the witch, for she had climbed to the roof of the Magician's
house and was standing on the tallest chimneypot.

As they looked she waved her arms, and at once a blue flame sprang from
her, waving and dancing in the air, sometimes shooting to a great
height, and again breaking out in all directions over the sea.

The wind had in the meantime been steadily blowing them on, and by this
time the ship was some distance from the shore and heading for the
Island of Sunne.

"The Magician will be here in a moment," cried Daimur. "Stand close
together here and obey me, for I can see him the mo