We will now relate what happened to Rinkitink andBilbil that morning, while Inga was undergoing histrying experience in escaping the fearful dangers ofthe three caverns.

The King of Gilgad wakened to find the door of Inga'sroom fast shut and locked, but he had no trouble inopening his own door into the corridor, for it seemsthat the boy's room, which was the middle one, whirledaround on a pivot, while the adjoining rooms occupiedby Bilbil and Rinkitink remained stationary. The littleKing also found a breakfast magically served in hisroom, and while he was eating it, Klik came to him andstated that His Majesty, King Kaliko, desired hispresence in the royal cavern.

So Rinkitink, having first made sure that the PinkPearl was still in his vest pocket, willingly followedKlik, who ran on some distance ahead. But no sooner hadRinkitink set foot in the passage than a great rock,weighing at least a ton, became dislodged and droppedfrom the roof directly over his head. Of course, itcould not harm him, protected as he was by the PinkPearl, and it bounded aside and crashed upon the floor,where it was shattered by its own weight.

"How careless!" exclaimed the little King, andwaddled after Klik, who seemed amazed at his escape.

Presently another rock above Rinkitink plungeddownward, and then another, but none touched his body.Klik seemed much perplexed at these continued escapesand certainly Kaliko was surprised when Rinkitink, safeand sound, entered the royal cavern.

"Good morning," said the King of Gilgad. "Your rocksare getting loose, Kaliko, and you'd better have themglued in place before they hurt someone." Then he beganto chuckle: "Hoo, hoo, hoo-hee, hee-heek, keek, eek!"and Kaliko sat and frowned because he realized that thelittle fat King was poking fun at him.

"I asked Your Majesty to come here," said the NomeKing, "to show you a curious skein of golden threadwhich my workmen have made. If it pleases you, I willmake you a present of it."

With this he held out a small skein of glitteringgold twine, which was really pretty and curious.Rinkitink took it in his hand and at once the goldenthread began to unwind -- so swiftly that the eye couldnot follow its motion. And, as it unwound, it coileditself around Rinkitink's body, at the same timeweaving itself into a net, until it had enveloped thelittle King from head to foot and placed him in aprison of gold.

"Aha!" cried Kaliko; "this magic worked all right, itseems.

"Oh, did it?" replied Rinkitink, and stepping forwardhe walked right through the golden net, which fell tothe floor in a tangled mass

Kaliko rubbed his chin thoughtfully and stared hardat Rinkitink.

"I understand a good bit of magic," said ,he, "butYour Majesty has a sort of magic that greatly puzzlesme, because it is unlike anything of the sort that Iever met with before."

"Now, see here, Kaliko," said Rinkitink; "if you aretrying to harm me or my companions, give it up, for youwill never succeed. We're harm-proof, so to speak, andyou are merely wasting your time trying to injure us.

"You may be right, and I hope I am not so impolite asto argue with a guest," returned the Nome King. "Butyou will pardon me if I am not yet satisfied that youare stronger than my famous magic. However, I beg youto believe that I bear you no ill will, King Rinkitink;but it is my duty to destroy you, if possible, becauseyou and that insignificant boy Prince have openlythreatened to take away my captives and have positivelyrefused to go back to the earth's surface and let mealone. I'm very tender-hearted, as a matter of fact,and I like you immensely, and would enjoy having you asa friend, but --" Here he pressed a button on the armof his throne chair and the section of the floor whereRinkitink stood suddenly opened and disclosed a blackpit beneath, which was a part of 'the terribleBottomless Gulf.

But Rinkitink did not fall into the pit; his bodyremained suspended in the air until he put out his footand stepped to the solid floor, when the openingsuddenly closed again.

"I appreciate Your Majesty's friendship," remarkedRinkitink, as calmly as if nothing had happened, "but Iam getting tired with standing. Will you kindly sendfor my goat, Bilbil, that I may sit upon his back torest?"

"Indeed I will!" promised Kaliko. "I have not yetcompleted my test of your magic, and as I owe that goata slight grudge for bumping my head and smashing mysecond-best crown, I will be glad to discover if thebeast can also escape my delightful little sorceries."

So Klik was sent to fetch Bilbil and presentlyreturned with the goat, which was very cross thismorning because it had not slept well in theunderground caverns.

Rinkitink lost no time in getting upon the red velvetsaddle which the goat constantly wore, for he fearedthe Nome King would try to destroy Bilbil and knew thatas long as his body touched that of the goat the PinkPearl would protect them both; whereas, if Bilbil stoodalone, there was no magic to save him.

Bilbil glared wickedly at King Kaliko, who moveduneasily in his ivory throne. Then the Nome Kingwhispered a moment in the ear of Klik, who nodded andleft the room.

"Please make yourselves at home here for a fewminutes, while I attend to an errand," said the NomeKing, getting up from the throne. "I shall returnpretty soon, when I hope to find you pieceful -- ha,ha, ha! -- that's a joke you can't appreciate now butwill later. Be pieceful -- that's the idea. Ho, ho, ho!How funny." Then he waddled from the cavern, closingthe door behind him.

"Well, why didn't you laugh when Kaliko laughed?"demanded the goat, when they were left alone in thecavern.

"Because he means mischief of some sort," repliedRinkitink, "and we'll laugh after the danger is over,Bilbil. There's an old adage that says: 'He laughs bestwho laughs last,' and the only way to laugh last is togive the other fellow a chance. Where did that knifecome from, I wonder."

For a long, sharp knife suddenly appeared in the airnear them, twisting and turning from side to side anddarting here and there in a dangerous manner, withoutany support whatever. Then another knife became visible-- and another and another -- until all the space inthe royal cavern seemed filled with them. Their sharppoints and edges darted toward Rinkitink and Bilbilperpetually and nothing could have saved them frombeing cut to pieces except the protecting power of thePink Pearl. As it was, not a knife touched them andeven Bilbil gave a gruff laugh at the failure ofKaliko's clever magic.

The goat wandered here and there in the cavern,carrying Rinkitink upon his back, and neither of thempaid the slightest heed to the knives, although theglitter of the hundreds of polished blades was rathertrying. to their eyes. Perhaps for ten minutes theknives darted about them in bewildering fury; then theydisappeared as suddenly as they had appeared.

Kaliko cautiously stuck his head through the doorwayand found the goat chewing the embroidery of his royalcloak, which he had left lying over the throne, whileRinkitink was reading his manuscript on "How to beGood" and chuckling over its advice. The Nome Kingseemed greatly disappointed as he came in and resumedhis seat on the throne. Said Rinkitink with a chuckle:

"We've really had a peaceful time, Kaliko, althoughnot the pieceful time you expected. Forgive me if Iindulge in a laugh -- hoo, hoo, hoo-hee, heek-keek-eek!And now, tell me; aren't you getting tired of trying toinjure us?"

"Eh -- heh," said the Nome King. "I see now that yourmagic can protect you from all my arts. But is the boyInga as, well protected as Your Majesty and the goat?'

"Why do you ask?" inquired Rinkitink, uneasy at thequestion because he remembered he had not seen thelittle Prince of Pingaree that morning.

"Because," said Kaliko, "the boy has been undergoingtrials far greater and more dangerous than any you haveencountered, and it has been hundreds of years sinceanyone has been able to escape alive from the perils ofmy Three Trick Caverns."

King Rinkitink was much alarmed at hearing this, foralthough he knew that Inga possessed the Blue Pearl,that would only give to him marvelous strength, andperhaps strength alone would not enable him to escapefrom danger. But he would not let Kaliko see the fearhe felt for Inga's safety, so he said in a carelessway:

"You're a mighty poor magician, Kaliko, and I'll giveyou my crown if Inga hasn't escaped any danger you havethreatened him with."

"Your whole crown is not worth one of the valuablediamonds in my crown," answered the Nome King, "butI'll take it. Let us go at once, therefore, and seewhat has become of the boy Prince, for if he is notdestroyed by this time I will admit he cannot beinjured by any of the magic arts which I have at mycommand."

He left the room, accompanied by Klik, who had nowrejoined his master, and by Rinkitink riding uponBilbil. After traversing several of the huge cavernsthey entered one that was somewhat more bright andcheerful than the others, where the Nome King pausedbefore a wall of rock. Then Klik pressed a secretspring and a section of the wall opened and disclosedthe corridor where Prince Inga stood facing them.

"Tarts and tadpoles!" cried Kaliko in surprise. "Theboy is still alive!"