three had come
in to the apartment. His companions had made their final obeisance and
disappeared, while he was left with Ziffak standing near the middle of
the apartment, his pose such that he could glance at his royal relative
or at him without shifting his body.

It now became Fred's duty to assume the perpendicular, in order to
effect a graceful withdrawal.

As he came upright once more, he looked straight into the countenance
of the scowling king. Then--he could not help it---his eyes flashed in
the face of the blushing Ariel, who was gazing fixedly at him, and he
smiled and saluted her.

It was a daring thing to do, with the eyes of the king and the head
chieftain upon him. He never understood how it was that it was done.
The salutation might have been forgiven, but that smile was an offense
like smiting King Haffgo's countenance with the back of the open hand.

But wonder of wonders! the ruby lips of the radiant beauty parted for
an instant in the faintest possible smile which lit up her countenance
like a burst of sunshine. Ashman noticed not the diamond bracelet and
necklace, which flashed in all their prismatic beauty, but knew only
that she had returned the smile of recognition. For that boon he would
have risked life a thousand times over.

Both Ziffak and the king were looking at the white man at the moment;
but, as if suspicion had entered the brain of the infuriated monarch,
he quickly shifted his head and glared at his daughter.

The movement was like the dart of a serpent, but that shadowy smile on
the face of Ariel had passed, as the lightning flash cleaves the
midnight, leaving the darkness deeper than before.

The king saw it not, and well for his child that so it was; for, much
as he cherished her, he would have smitten her to the earth had he
dreamed that she ventured on such a response to the impudence of the
white man, whose very life was his own only through the sufferance of
King Haffgo.

Not until Fred Ashman found himself in the air on the outside of the
place did he realize what he had done. He feared that he had committed
a fatal indiscretion, but when he asked, himself whether he would
recall it if he could, his heart said "No."

The afternoon was drawing to a close, and there was a sensible coolness
in the air. The natives who had remained standing round the front of
the palace, when the explorers first went inside, had grown tired of
waiting and, scattered in different