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The　Voice　of　the　Pearl　replied：　〃Go　to　the　south　end

of　the　Island　of　Coregos；　and　clap　your　hands　three

times　and　the　boat　will　come　to　you。



〃Very　good！〃　cried　Inga；　and　then　he　turned　to　his

companions　and　said：　〃We　shall　be　able　to　get　our　boat

whenever　we　please；　but　what　then　shall　we　do？〃



〃Take　me　home　in　it！〃　pleaded　Zella。



〃Come　with　me　to　my　City　of　Gilgad；〃　said　the　King；

〃where　you　will　be　very　welcome　to　remain　forever。〃



〃No；〃　answered　Inga；　〃I　must　rescue　my　father　and

mother；　as　well　as　my　people。　Already　I　have　the　women

and　children　of　Pingaree；　but　the　men　are　with　my

father　in　the　mines　of　Regos；　and　my　dear　mother　has

been　taken　away　by　Queen　Cor。　Not　until　all　are　rescued

will　I　consent　to　leave　these　islands。〃



〃Quite　right！〃　exclaimed　Bilbil。



〃On　second　thought；〃　said　Rinkitink；　〃I　agree　with

you。　If　you　are　careful　to　sleep　in　your　shoes；　and

never　take　them　off　again；　I　believe　you　will　be　able

to　perform　the　task　you　have　undertaken。〃



They　counseled　together　for　a　long　time　as　to　their

mode　of　action　and　it　was　finally　considered　best　to

make　the　attempt　to　liberate　King　Kitticut　first　of

all；　and　with　him　the　men　from　Pingaree。　This　would

give　them　an　army　to　assist　them　and　afterward　they

could　march　to　Regos　and　compel　Queen　Cor　to　give　up

the　Queen　of　Pingaree。　Zella　told　them　that　they　could

go　in　their　boat　along　the　shore　of　Regos　to　a　point

opposite　the　mines；　thus　avoiding　any　conflict　with　the

warriors　of　King　Gos。



This　being　considered　the　best　course　to　pursue；　they

resolved　to　start　on　the　following　morning；　as　night

was　even　now　approaching。　The　servants　being　all　busy

in　caring　for　the　women　and　children；　Zella　undertook

to　get　a　dinner　for　Inga　and　Rinkitink　and　herself　and

soon　prepared　a　fine　meal　in　the　palace　kitchen；　for

she　was　a　good　little　cook　and　had　often　helped　her

mother。　The　dinner　was　served　in　a　small　room

overlooking　the　gardens　and　Rinkitink　thought　the　best

part　of　it　was　the　sweet　honey；　which　he　spread　upon

the　biscuits　that　Zella　had　made。　As　for　Bilbil；　he

wandered　through　the　palace　grounds　and　found　some

grass　that　made　him　a　good　dinner。



During　the　evening　Inga　talked　with　the　women　and

cheered　them；　promising　soon　to　reunite　them　with　their

husbands　who　were　working　in　the　mines　and　to　send　them

back　to　their　own　island　of　Pingaree。



Next　morning　the　boy　rose　bright　and　early　and　found

that　Zella　had　already　prepared　a　nice　breakfast。　And

after　the　meal　they　went　to　the　most　southern　point　of

the　island；　which　was　not　very　far　away；　Rinkitink

riding　upon　Bilbil's　back　and　Inga　and　Zella　following

behind　them；　hand　in　hand。



When　they　reached　the　water's　edge　the　boy　advanced

and　clapped　his　hands　together　three　times；　as　the

White　Pearl　had　told　him　to　do。　And　in　a　few　moments

they　saw　in　the　distance　the　black　boat　with　the　silver

lining；　coming　swiftly　toward　them　from　the　sea。

Presently　it　grounded　on　the　beach　and　they　all　got

into　it。



Zella　was　delighted　with　the　boat；　which　was　the　most

beautiful　she　had　ever　seen；　and　the　marvel　of　its

coming　to　them　through　the　water　without　anyone　to　row

it；　made　her　a　little　afraid　of　the　fairy　craft。　But

Inga　picked　up　the　oars　and　began　to　row　and　at　once

the　boat　shot　swiftly　in　the　direction　of　Regos。　They

rounded　the　point　of　that　island　where　the　city　was

built　and　noticed　that　the　shore　was　lined　with

warriors　who　had　discovered　their　boat　but　seemed

undecided　whether　to　pursue　it　or　not。　This　was

probably　because　they　had　received　no　commands　what　to

do；　or　perhaps　they　had　learned　to　fear　the　magic

powers　of　these　adventurers　from　Pingaree　and　were

unwilling　to　attack　them　unless　their　King　ordered　them

to。



The　coast　on　the　western　side　of　the　Island　of　Regos

was　very　uneven　and　Zella；　who　knew　fairly　well　the

location　of　the　mines　from　the　inland　forest　path；　was

puzzled　to　decide　which　mountain　they　now　viewed　from

the　sea　was　the　one　where　the　entrance　to　the

underground　caverns　was　located。　First　she　thought　it

was　this　peak；　and　then　she　guessed　it　was　that；　so

considerable　time　was　lost　through　her　uncertainty。



They　finally　decided　to　land　and　explore　the　country；

to　see　where　they　were；　so　Inga　ran　the　boat　into　a

little　rocky　cove　where　they　all　disembarked。　For　an

hour　they　searched　for　the　path　without　finding　any

trace　of　it　and　now　Zella　believed　they　had　gone　too

far　to　the　north　and　must　return　to　another　mountain

that　was　nearer　to　the　city。



Once　again　they　entered　the　boat　and　followed　the

winding　coast　south　until　they　thought　they　had　reached

the　right　place。　By　this　time；　however；　it　was　growing

dark；　for　the　entire　day　had　been　spent　in　the　search

for　the　entrance　to　the　mines；　and　Zella　warned　them

that　it　would　be　safer　to　spend　the　night　in　the　boat

than　on　the　land；　where　wild　beasts　were　sure　to

disturb　them。　None　of　them　realized　at　this　time　how

fatal　this　day　of　search　had　been　to　their　plans　and

perhaps　if　Inga　had　realized　what　was　going　on　he　would

have　landed　and　fought　all　the　wild　beasts　in　the

forest　rather　than　quietly　remain　in　the　boat　until

morning。



However；　knowing　nothing　of　the　cunning　plans　of

Queen　Cor　and　King　Gos；　they　anchored　their　boat　in　a

little　bay　and　cheerfully　ate　their　dinner；　finding

plenty　of　food　and　drink　in　the　boat's　lockers。　In　the

evening　the　stars　came　out　in　the　sky　and　tipped　the

waves　around　their　boat　with　silver。　All　around　them

was　delightfully　still　save　for　the　occasional　snarl　of

a　beast　on　the　neighboring　shore。



They　talked　together　quietly　of　their　adventures　and

their　future　plans　and　Zella　told　them　her　simple

history　and　how　hard　her　poor　father　was　obliged　to

work；　burning　charcoal　to　sell　for　enough　money　to

support　his　wife　and　child。　Nikobob　might　be　the

humblest　man　in　all　Regos；　but　Zella　declared　he　was　a

good　man；　and　honest；　and　it　was　not　his　fault　that　his

country　was　ruled　by　so　wicked　a　King。



Then　Rinkitink；　to　amuse　them；　offered　to　sing　a

song；　and　although　Bilbil　protested　in　his　gruff　way；

claiming　that　his　master's　voice　was　cracked　and

disagreeable；　the　little　King　was　encouraged　by　the

others　to　sing　his　song；　which　he　did。



〃A　red…headed　man　named　Ned　was　dead；



Sing　fiddle…cum…faddle…cum…fi…do！

In　battle　he　had　lost　his　head；



Sing　fiddle…cum…faddl…cum…fi…do！

'Alas；　poor　Ned；'　to　him　I　said；

'How　did　you　lose　your　head　so　red？'



Sing　fiddle…cum…faddle…cum…fi…do！



〃Said　Ned：　'I　for　my　country　bled；'



Sing　fiddle…cum…faddle…cum…fi…do！

'Instead　of　dying　safe　in　bed'；



Sing　fiddle…cum…faddle…cum…fi…do！

'If　I　had　only　fled；　instead；

I　then　had　been　a　head　ahead。'



Sing　fiddle…cum…faddle…cum…fi…do！



〃I　said　to　Ned　〃





〃Do　stop；　Your　Majesty！〃　pleaded　Bilbil。　〃You're

making　my　head　ache。〃



〃But　the　song　isn't　finished；〃　replied　Rinkitink；

〃and　as　for　your　head　aching；　think　of　poor　Ned；　who

hadn't　any　head　at　all！〃



〃I　can　think　of　nothing　but　your　dismal　singing；〃

retorted　Bilbil。　〃Why　didn't　you　choose　a　cheerful

subject；　instead　of　telling　how　a　man　who　was　dead　lost

his　red　head？　Really；　Rinkitink；　I'm　surprised　at　you。



〃I　know　a　splendid　song　about　a　live　man；　said　the

King。



〃Then　don't　sing　it；〃　begged　Bilbil。



Zella　was　both　astonished　and　grieved　by　the

disrespectful　words　of　the　goat；　for　she　had　quite

enjoyed　Rinkitink's　singing　and　had　been　taught　a

proper　respect　for　Kings　and　those　high　in　authority。

But　as　it　was　now　getting　late　they　decided　to　go　to

sleep；　that　they　might　rise　early　the　following

morning；　so　they　all　reclined　upon　the　bottom　of　the

big　boat　and　covered　themselves　with　blankets　which

they　found　stored　underneath　the　seats　for　just　such

occasions。　They　were　not　long　in　falling　asleep　and　did

not　waken　until　daybreak。



After　a　hurried　breakfast；　for　Inga　was　eager　to

liberate　his　father；　the　boy　rowed　the　boat　ashore　and

they　all　landed　and　began　searching　for　the　path。　Zella

found　it　within　the　next　half　hour　and　declared　they

must　be　very　close　to　the　entrance　to　the　mines；　so

they　followed　the　path　toward　the　north；　Inga　going

first；　and　then　Zella　following　him；　while　Rinkitink

brought　up　the　rear　riding　upon　Bilbil's　back。



Before　long　they　saw　a　great　wall　of　rock　towering

before　them；　in　which　was　a　low　arched　entrance；　and　on

either　side　of　this　entrance　stood　a　guard；　armed　with

a　sword　and　a　spear。　The　guards　of　the　mines　were　not

so　fierce　as　the　warriors　of　King　Gos；　their　duty　being

to　make　the　slaves　work　at　their　tasks　and　guard　them

from　escaping；　but　they　were　as　cruel　as　their　cruel

master　wished　them　to　be；　and　as　cowardly　as　they　were

cruel。



Inga　walked　up　to　the　two　men　at　the　entrance　and

said：



〃Does　this　op