Read Online L. Frank Baum by The Enchanted Island of Yew - Free Book Online
Authors: The Enchanted Island of Yew
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castle, where Nerle was holding the
horses in readiness for their journey.
Standing around were many rows and files of the Gray Men, and when they
reached the marble roadway they found it lined with motionless forms of
the huge giants. But no one interfered with them in any way, although
both Prince Marvel and Nerle knew that every eye followed them as they
rode forward.
Curiously enough, they had both forgotten from what direction they had
approached the castle; for, whereas they had at that time noticed but
one marble roadway leading to the entrance, they now saw that there
were several of these, each one connecting with a path through the
mountains.
"It really doesn't matter which way we go, so long as we get away from
the Kingdom of Spor," said Prince Marvel; so he selected a path by
chance, and soon they were riding through a mountain pass.
The pleased, expectant look on Nerle's face had gradually turned to one
of gloom.
"I hoped we should have a fight to get away," he said, sadly; "and in
that case I might have suffered considerable injury and pain. But no
one has injured us in any way, and perhaps King Terribus is really glad
to be rid of us."
"With good reason, too, if such is the case," laughed Marvel; "for,
mark you, Nerle, the king has discovered we are more powerful than he
is, and had he continued to oppose us, we might have destroyed his
entire army."
On they rode through the rough hill paths, winding this way and that,
until they lost all sense of the direction in which they were going.
"Never mind," said the prince; "so long as we get farther and farther
away from the ugly Terribus I shall be satisfied."
"Perhaps we are getting into more serious danger than ever," answered
Nerle, brightening; "one of the giants told me the other day that near
the foot of these mountains is the Kingdom of the High Ki of Twi."
"Who is the High Ki of Twi?" asked Prince Marvel.
"No one knows," answered Nerle.
"And what is the Kingdom of Twi like?"
"No one knows that," answered Nerle.
"Then," returned the prince, with a smile, "if by chance we visit the
place we shall know more than any one else."
At noon they ate luncheon by the wayside, Nerle having filled his pouch
by stealth at the breakfast table. There were great fragments of rock
lying all about them, and the sun beat down so fiercely that the heat
reflected from the rocks was hard to bear. So the travelers did not
linger over their meal, but remounted and rode away as soon as
possible. When the sun began to get lower in the sky the rocks beside
the path threw the riders into shadow, so that their journey became
more pleasant. They rode along, paying little attention to the way,
but talking and laughing merrily together, until it began to grow dark.
"Does this path never end?" asked Prince Marvel, suddenly. "We ought
to reach some place where men dwell before long, else we shall be
obliged to spend the night among these rocks."
"And then perhaps the wolves will attack us," said Nerle, cheerfully,
"and tear us into pieces with their sharp teeth and claws."
But even as he spoke they rode around a turn in the path and saw a
sight that made them pause in astonishment. For just before them rose
the castle of King Terribus, and along both sides of the marble walk
leading up to it were ranged the lines of giants, exactly as they had
stood in the morning.
Nerle turned around in his saddle. Sure enough, there were the Gray
Men in the rear—stepping from behind every boulder and completely
filling the rocky pathway.
"Well, what shall we do?" asked the esquire; "fight?"
"No, indeed!" returned Prince Marvel, laughing at his friend's eager
face. "It appears the path we chose winds around in a circle, and so
has brought us back to our starting-point. So we must make the best of
a bad blunder and spend another night with our ugly friend King
Terribus."
They rode forward through the rows of giants to the castle, where the
ever-courteous servants took their horses and
horses in readiness for their journey.
Standing around were many rows and files of the Gray Men, and when they
reached the marble roadway they found it lined with motionless forms of
the huge giants. But no one interfered with them in any way, although
both Prince Marvel and Nerle knew that every eye followed them as they
rode forward.
Curiously enough, they had both forgotten from what direction they had
approached the castle; for, whereas they had at that time noticed but
one marble roadway leading to the entrance, they now saw that there
were several of these, each one connecting with a path through the
mountains.
"It really doesn't matter which way we go, so long as we get away from
the Kingdom of Spor," said Prince Marvel; so he selected a path by
chance, and soon they were riding through a mountain pass.
The pleased, expectant look on Nerle's face had gradually turned to one
of gloom.
"I hoped we should have a fight to get away," he said, sadly; "and in
that case I might have suffered considerable injury and pain. But no
one has injured us in any way, and perhaps King Terribus is really glad
to be rid of us."
"With good reason, too, if such is the case," laughed Marvel; "for,
mark you, Nerle, the king has discovered we are more powerful than he
is, and had he continued to oppose us, we might have destroyed his
entire army."
On they rode through the rough hill paths, winding this way and that,
until they lost all sense of the direction in which they were going.
"Never mind," said the prince; "so long as we get farther and farther
away from the ugly Terribus I shall be satisfied."
"Perhaps we are getting into more serious danger than ever," answered
Nerle, brightening; "one of the giants told me the other day that near
the foot of these mountains is the Kingdom of the High Ki of Twi."
"Who is the High Ki of Twi?" asked Prince Marvel.
"No one knows," answered Nerle.
"And what is the Kingdom of Twi like?"
"No one knows that," answered Nerle.
"Then," returned the prince, with a smile, "if by chance we visit the
place we shall know more than any one else."
At noon they ate luncheon by the wayside, Nerle having filled his pouch
by stealth at the breakfast table. There were great fragments of rock
lying all about them, and the sun beat down so fiercely that the heat
reflected from the rocks was hard to bear. So the travelers did not
linger over their meal, but remounted and rode away as soon as
possible. When the sun began to get lower in the sky the rocks beside
the path threw the riders into shadow, so that their journey became
more pleasant. They rode along, paying little attention to the way,
but talking and laughing merrily together, until it began to grow dark.
"Does this path never end?" asked Prince Marvel, suddenly. "We ought
to reach some place where men dwell before long, else we shall be
obliged to spend the night among these rocks."
"And then perhaps the wolves will attack us," said Nerle, cheerfully,
"and tear us into pieces with their sharp teeth and claws."
But even as he spoke they rode around a turn in the path and saw a
sight that made them pause in astonishment. For just before them rose
the castle of King Terribus, and along both sides of the marble walk
leading up to it were ranged the lines of giants, exactly as they had
stood in the morning.
Nerle turned around in his saddle. Sure enough, there were the Gray
Men in the rear—stepping from behind every boulder and completely
filling the rocky pathway.
"Well, what shall we do?" asked the esquire; "fight?"
"No, indeed!" returned Prince Marvel, laughing at his friend's eager
face. "It appears the path we chose winds around in a circle, and so
has brought us back to our starting-point. So we must make the best of
a bad blunder and spend another night with our ugly friend King
Terribus."
They rode forward through the rows of giants to the castle, where the
ever-courteous servants took their horses and
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