Almost the first persons that Zella saw when she landedfrom the silver-lined boat at Regos were her father andmother. Nikobob and his wife had been greatly worriedwhen their little daughter failed to return fromCoregos, so they had set out to discover what hadbecome of her. When they reached the City of Regos,that very morning, they were astonished to hear news ofall the strange events that had taken place; still,they found comfort when told that Zella had been seenin the boat of Prince Inga, which had gone to thenorth. Then, while they wondered what this could mean,the silver-lined boat appeared again, with theirdaughter in it, and they ran down to the shore to giveher a welcome and many joyful kisses.

Inga invited the good people to the palace of KingGos, where he conferred with them, as well as withRinkitink and Bilbil.

"Now that the King and Queen of Regos and Coregoshave run away," he said, "there is no one to rule theseislands. So it is my duty to appoint a new ruler, andas Nikobob, Zella's father, is an honest and worthyman, I shall make him the King of the Twin Islands."

"Me?" cried Nikobob, astounded by this speech. "I begYour Highness, on my bended knees, not to do so cruel athing as to make me King!"

"Why not?" inquired Rinkitink. "I'm a King, and Iknow how it feels. I assure you, good Nikobob, that Iquite enjoy my high rank, although a jeweled crown israther heavy to wear in hot weather."

"With you, noble sir, it is different," said Nikobob,"for you are far from your kingdom and its trials andworries and may do as you please. But to remain inRegos, as King over these fierce and unruly warriors,would be to live in constant anxiety and peril, and thechances are that they would murder me within a month.As I have done no harm to anyone and have tried to be agood and upright man, I do not think that I should becondemned to such a dreadful fate."

"Very well," replied Inga, "we will say no more aboutyour being King. I merely wanted to make you rich andprosperous, as I had promised Zella."

"Please forget that promise," pleaded the charcoal-burner, earnestly; "I have been safe from molestationfor many years, because I was poor and possessednothing that anyone else could envy. But if you make merich and prosperous I shall at once become the prey ofthieves and marauders and probably will lose my life inthe attempt to protect my fortune."

Inga looked at the man in surprise.

"What, then, can I do to please you?" he inquired.

"Nothing more than to allow me to go home to my poorcabin," said Nikobob.

"Perhaps," remarked King Rinkitink, "the charcoal-burner has more wisdom concealed in that hard head ofhis than we gave him credit for. But let us use thatwisdom, for the present, to counsel us what to do inthis emergency."

"What you call my wisdom," said Nikobob, "is merelycommon sense. I have noticed that some men become rich,and are scorned by some and robbed by others. Other menbecome famous, and are mocked at and derided by theirfellows. But the poor and humble man who livesunnoticed and unknown escapes all these troubles and isthe only one who can appreciate the joy of living."

"If I had a hand, instead of a cloven hoof, I'd liketo shake hands with you, Nikobob," said Bilbil thegoat. "But the poor man must not have a cruel master,or he is undone."

During the council they found, indeed, that theadvice of the charcoal-burner was both shrewd andsensible, and they profited much by his words.

Inga gave Captain Buzzub the command of the warriorsand made him promise to keep his men quiet and orderly-- if he could. Then the boy allowed all of King Gos'sformer slaves, except those who came from Pingaree, tochoose what boats they required and to stock them withprovisions and row away to their own countries. Whenthese had departed, with grateful thanks and manyblessings showered upon the boy Prince who had set themfree, Inga made preparations to send his own peoplehome, where they were told to rebuild their houses andthen erect a new royal palace. They were then to awaitpatiently the coming of King Kitticut or Prince Inga.

"My greatest worry," said the boy to his friends, "isto know whom to appoint to take charge of this work ofrestoring Pingaree to its former condition. My men areall pearl fishers, and although willing and honest,have no talent for directing others how to work."

While the preparations for departure were being made,Nikobob offered to direct the men of Pingaree, and didso in a very capable manner. As the island had beendespoiled of all its valuable furniture and draperiesand rich cloths and paintings and statuary and thelike, as well as gold and silver and ornaments, Ingathought it no more than just that they be replaced bythe spoilers. So he directed his people to searchthrough the storehouses of King Gos and to regain alltheir goods and chattels that could be found. Also heinstructed them to take as much else as they requiredto make their new homes comfortable, so that many boatswere loaded full of goods that would enable the peopleto restore Pingaree to its former state of comfort.

For his father's new palace the boy plundered thepalaces of both Queen Cor and King Gos, sending enoughwares away with his people to make King Kitticut's newresidence as handsomely fitted and furnished as hadbeen the one which the ruthless invaders from Regos haddestroyed.

It was a great fleet of boats that set out onebright, sunny morning on the voyage to Pingaree,carrying all the men, women and children and all thegoods for refitting their homes. As he saw the fleetdepart, Prince Inga felt that he had alreadysuccessfully accomplished a part of his mission, but hevowed he would never return to Pingaree in person untilhe could take his father and mother there with him;unless, indeed, King Gos wickedly destroyed his belovedparents, in which case Inga would become the King ofPingaree and it would be his duty to go to his peopleand rule over them.

It was while the last of the boats were preparing tosail for Pingaree that Nikobob, who had been of greatservice in getting them ready, came to Inga in athoughtful mood and said:

"Your Highness, my wife and my daughter Zella havebeen urging me to leave Regos and settle down in yourisland, in a new home. From what your people have toldme, Pingaree is a better place to live than Regos, andthere are no cruel warriors or savage beasts there tokeep one in constant fear for the safety of those heloves. Therefore, I have come to ask to go with myfamily in one of the boats."

Inga was much pleased with this proposal and not onlygranted Nikobob permission to go to Pingaree to live,but instructed him to take with him sufficient goods tofurnish his new home in a comfortable manner. Inaddition to this, he appointed Nikobob general managerof the buildings and of the pearl fisheries, until hisfather or he himself arrived, and the people approvedthis order because they liked Nikobob and knew him tobe just and honest.

Soon as the last boat of the great flotilla haddisappeared from the view of those left at Regos, Ingaand Rinkitink prepared to leave the island themselves.The boy was anxious to overtake the boat of King Gos,if possible, and Rinkitink had no desire to remain inRegos.

Buzzub and the warriors stood silently on the shoreand watched the black boat with its silver liningdepart, and I am sure they were as glad to be rid oftheir unwelcome visitors as Inga and Rinkitink andBilbil were to leave.

The boy asked the White Pearl what direction the boatof King Gos had taken and then he followed after it,rowing hard and steadily for eight days withoutbecoming at all weary. But, although the black boatmoved very swiftly, it failed to overtake the bargewhich was rowed by Queen Cor's forty picked oarsmen.