Part 12 (1/2)

”I thank you,” said Marvel, ”but there is small chance of my needing help. Farewell, and may your future life be pleasant and happy!”

With this he sprang to the saddle of his prancing charger and, followed by Nerle, rode slowly through the stone arch. The courtiers and ladies had flocked from the palace to witness their departure, and the giants and dwarfs and Gray Men were drawn up in long lines to speed the king's guests. So it was a brilliant sight that Marvel and Nerle looked back on; but once they were clear of the arch, the great stone rolled back into its place, shutting them out completely from the Kingdom of Spor, with its turreted castle and transformed king.

13. The Hidden Kingdom of Twi

Knowing that at last they were free to roam according to their desire, the travelers rode gaily along the paths, taking but scant heed of their way.

”Our faces are set toward new adventures,” remarked the prince. ”Let us hope they will prove more pleasant than the last.”

”To be sure!” responded Nerle. ”Let us hope, at any rate, that we shall suffer more privations and encounter more trouble than we did in that mountainous Kingdom of Spor.” Then he added: ”For one reason, I regret you are my master.”

”What is that reason?” asked the prince, turning to smile upon his esquire.

”You have a way of overcoming all difficulties without any trouble whatsoever, and that deprives me of any chance of coming to harm while in your company.”

”Cheer up, my boy!” cried Marvel. ”Did I not say there are new adventures before us? We may not come through them so easily as we came through the others.”

”That is true,” replied Nerle; ”it is always best to hope.” And then he inquired: ”Why do you stop here, in the middle of the path?”

”Because the path has ended rather suddenly,” answered Marvel. ”Here is a thick hedge of p.r.i.c.kly briers barring our way.”

Nerle looked over his master's shoulder and saw that a great hedge, high and exceedingly thick, cut off all prospect of their advancing.

”This is pleasant,” said he; ”but I might try to force our way through the hedge. The briers would probably p.r.i.c.k me severely, and that would be delightful.”

”Try it!” the prince returned, with twinkling eyes.

Nerle sprang from his horse to obey, but at the first contact with the briers he uttered a howl of pain and held up his hands, which were bleeding in a dozen places from the wounds of the thorns.

”Ah, that will content you for a time, I trust,” said Marvel. ”Now follow me, and we will ride along beside the hedge until we find an opening. For either it will come to an end or there will prove to be a way through it to the other side.”

So they rode alongside the hedge for hour after hour; yet it did not end, nor could they espy any way to get through the thickly matted briers. By and by night fell, and they tethered their horses to some shrubs, where there were a few scanty blades of gra.s.s for them to crop, and then laid themselves down upon the ground, with bare rocks for pillows, where they managed to sleep soundly until morning.

They had brought a supply of food in their pouches, and on this they breakfasted, afterward continuing their journey beside the hedge.

At noon Prince Marvel uttered an exclamation of surprise and stopped his horse.

”What is it?” asked Nerle.

”I have found the handkerchief with which you wiped the blood from your hands yesterday morning, and then carelessly dropped,” replied the prince. ”This proves that we have made a complete circle around this hedge without finding a way to pa.s.s through it.”

”In that case,” said Nerle, ”we had better leave the hedge and go in another direction.”

”Not so,” declared Marvel. ”The hedge incloses some unknown country, and I am curious to find out what it is.”

”But there is no opening,” remonstrated Nerle.

”Then we must make one. Wouldn't you like to enjoy a little more pain?”

”Thank you,” answered Nerle, ”my hands are still smarting very comfortably from the p.r.i.c.ks of yesterday.”