ion, however, he realized that unless he explored the place to
the very end he could not hope to escape from it, so he boldly entered
the dark corridor and felt his way cautiously as he moved forward.

Scarcely had he taken two paces when a crash resounded back of him and
a heavy sheet of steel closed the opening into the cavern from which he
had just come. He paused a moment, but it still seemed best to proceed,
and as Inga advanced in the dark, holding his hands outstretched before
him to feel his way, handcuffs fell upon his wrists and locked
themselves with a sharp click, and an instant later he found he was
chained to a stout iron post set firmly in the rock floor.

The chains were long enough to permit him to move a yard or so in any
direction and by feeling the walls he found he was in a small circular
room that had no outlet except the passage by which he had entered, and
that was now closed by the door of steel. This was the end of the
series of caverns and corridors.

It was now that the horror of his situation occurred to the boy with
full force. But he resolved not to submit to his fate without a
struggle, and realizing that he possessed the Blue Pearl, which gave
him marvelous strength, he quickly broke the chains and set himself
free of the handcuffs. Next he twisted the steel door from its hinges,
and creeping along the short passage, found himself in the third cave.

But now the dim light, which had before guided him, had vanished; yet
on peering into the gloom of the cave he saw what appeared to be two
round disks of flame, which cast a subdued glow over the floor and
walls. By this dull glow he made out the form of an enormous man,
seated in the center of the cave, and he saw that the iron grating had
been removed, permitting the man to enter.

The giant was unclothed and its limbs were thickly covered with coarse
red hair. The round disks of flame were its two eyes and when it opened
its mouth to yawn Inga saw that its jaws were wide enough to crush a
dozen men between the great rows of teeth.

Presently the giant looked up and perceived the boy crouching at the
other side of the cavern, so he called out in a hoarse, rude voice:

"Come hither, my pretty one. We will wrestle together, you and I, and
if you succeed in throwing me I will let you pass through my cave."

The boy made no reply to the challenge. He realized he was in dire
peril and regretted that he had lent the Pink Pearl to King Rin