of an underground maze, through
the winding of which I must pass before I could take my leave by the door
(B). But I knew full well that in the great darkness of this dreadful
place I might well wander for hours and yet return to the place from
which I set out. How was I then to reach the door with certainty? With a
plan of the maze it is but a simple matter to trace out the route, but
how was the way to be found in the place itself in utter darkness?

[Illustration]

51.--_The Secret Lock._

When I did at last reach the door it was fast closed, and on sliding a
panel set before a grating the light that came in thereby showed unto me
that my passage was barred by the king's secret lock. Before the handle
of the door might be turned, it was needful to place the hands of three
several dials in their proper places. If you but knew the proper letter
for each dial, the secret was of a truth to your hand; but as ten letters
were upon the face of every dial, you might try nine hundred and
ninety-nine times and only succeed on the thousandth attempt withal. If I
was indeed to escape I must waste not a moment.

Now, once had I heard the learned monk who did invent the lock say that
he feared that the king's servants, having such bad memories, would
mayhap forget the right letters; so perchance, thought I, he had on this
account devised some way to aid their memories. And what more natural
than to make the letters form some word? I soon found a word that was
English, made of three letters--one letter being on each of the three
dials. After that I had pointed the hands properly to the letters the
door opened and I passed out. What was the secret word?

[Illustration]

52.--_Crossing the Moat._

I was now face to face with the castle moat, which was, indeed, very wide
and very deep. Alas! I could not swim, and my chance of escape seemed of
a truth hopeless, as, doubtless, it would have been had I not espied a
boat tied to the wall by a rope. But after I had got into it I did find
that the oars had been taken away, and that there was nothing that I
could use to row me across. When I had untied the rope and pushed off
upon the water the boat lay quite still, there being no stream or current
to help me. How, then, did I yet take the boat across the moat?

[Illustration]

53.--_The Royal Gardens._

It was now daylight, and still had I to pass through the royal gardens
outside of the castle walls. These gar