Part 29 (1/2)

”That explains the strange happenings!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mark. ”No wonder I could never solve the secret of the storeroom.”

”You are right, it does,” replied Mr. Henderson. ”I will not go into all the details of how it happened, but it seems the big hole through which we came is only one of two entrances to this inner world. Rather it is the entrance, and there is another, close to it, which is the exit. Through the latter a big stream of water spouts up, just as one pours down through the opening we used.

”Hankos, which is the name of the king, was for many years a student of science. He longed to see where the big stream of upward spurting water went, and wanted to know whence came the down-pouring one. So he undertook a daring experiment.

”He constructed a great cylinder, and, keeping his plans a secret, conveyed it to the spouting water, entered it, and, by means of pulleys and levers, after he had shut himself inside, cast himself into the up-shooting column. He took along compressed air cylinders to supply an atmosphere he could breathe, and some food to eat, for it appears our giant friends are something of inventors in their way. The current of water bore him to the surface of the earth, and he was cast up on the ocean, in what was probably taken for a waterspout if any one saw it.

”Then a strange thing happened. No sooner did Hankos open his cylinder, which served him as a boat, than he lost his gigantic size, owing to the difference of the two atmospheres. He became almost of the same size as ourselves, except that his skin hung in great folds on him, and he seemed like a wrinkled old man. His clothes too, were a world too large.

”He had a terrible time before he reached sh.o.r.e, and a hard one after it, for his strange appearance turned almost every one against him. He was sorry he had ventured to solve the mystery of the up-shooting stream of water, for he was worse than an outcast.

”Then he began to plan to get back to his own inner world. But he could not find the downward stream, and, not knowing the language of the countries where he landed, he had no means of ascertaining. He traveled from place to place, always seeking for something that would lead him back to his own country.

”Finally he heard of us, and of our s.h.i.+p, though how I do not know, as I thought I had kept it a great secret. By almost superhuman struggles he made his way to our island. He says he concealed himself aboard the Mermaid the night before we sailed, but I hardly believe it possible.

It seems----”

”He did it, for I saw him!” interrupted Mark.

”You saw him!” cried Mr. Henderson.

Then Mark told of the many things that had puzzled him so, how he had seen the queer figure slinking aboard the boat, of the disappearance of food from time to time, and of the strange noises in the storeroom.

”That bears out what he told me,” the professor said. ”Hankos says he used to steal out nights and take what food he could get, and he also mentions some one, answering to Mark's description, who nearly discovered him once as he hurried back into the apartment.

”However, it seems to be true, since Mark confirms it. At any rate Hankos stayed in hiding, and made the entire trip with us, and, just as we all became overcome with the strange gas he escaped, having begun to expand to his original giant size, and being unable to remain any longer in his cramped quarters.”

”That's so, he did!” cried Mark. ”I saw him come out of the place just before I lost my senses. It was a terrible sight, and none of you would believe me when I told you some of the occurrences afterward.”

”You must forgive us for that,” the professor said. ”We have learned much since then.”

”What did Hankos do after he left the s.h.i.+p when it landed in this country?” asked Jack.

”He traveled until he came to this village, which is the chief one of this country,” replied the professor. ”Part of the time he followed us at a distance, being able to travel very fast.”

Mark remembered the strange figure of a giant he had seen on the hill tops several times, and knew that he had been observing the being who had played such a queer part in their lives.

”When he came back among his own people,” went on Mr. Henderson, ”they would not receive him at first, believing him to be an impostor. But Hankos convinced them of his ident.i.ty and was allowed to don the golden armor, which is the badge of kings.h.i.+p. He had only been in office for a little while when he heard of the arrival of the strange thing, which turned out to be our s.h.i.+p. He recognized it from the description, and, learning that we were likely to be sacrificed to the fury and ignorance of the giants, he hurried here and saved our lives.

”He says he can never thank us enough for being the means whereby he was able to get back to his own country, and says the freedom of this whole inner world is ours. He has given orders that we are to go wherever we like, and none will molest us. He tells me the land is a wonderful one, compared to our own, and urges us to make a long journey. He would like to go with us, only, now that he has resumed his natural size, he can not get inside the s.h.i.+p.”

”Hurrah for King Hankos!” cried Jack and the others joined him in a hearty cheer.

The giant in the golden armor evidently understood the compliment which was paid him, for he waved his helmet in the air and responded with a shout of welcome that made the ground tremble.

Hankos waited until the professor had translated all of the story to the other travelers. Then the genial giant began to talk some more, and the professor listened intently.

”He says,” spoke Mr. Henderson to his friends, ”that we will be supplied with all the fruit we want, and with the best of the houses to sleep in on our journey. He also tells me he has great stores of s.h.i.+ning stones and piles of the metal of which his armor is made, and that we are welcome to as much as we want. If this means unlimited gold and diamonds, we may make our fortunes.”

”Jest let me git ma' hand on a few sparklers an' I'll quit work!”