e one another. The good Queen, Inga's
mother, found it was too dark to work at her embroidery, so she called
her maidens together and told them wonderful stories of bygone days, in
order to pass away the dreary hours.

But soon after noon the weather changed. The dense fog rolled away like
a heavy cloud and suddenly the sun shot his bright rays over the island.

"Very good!" exclaimed King Kitticut. "We shall have a pleasant
afternoon, I am sure," and he blew out the candles.

Then he stood a moment motionless, as if turned to stone, for a
terrible cry from without the palace reached his ears--a cry so full of
fear and horror that the King's heart almost stopped beating.
Immediately there was a scurrying of feet as every one in the palace,
filled with dismay, rushed outside to see what had happened. Even fat
little Rinkitink sprang from his chair and followed his host and the
others through the arched vestibule.

After many years the worst fears of King Kitticut were realized.

Landing upon the beach, which was but a few steps from the palace
itself, were hundreds of boats, every one filled with a throng of
fierce warriors. They sprang upon the land with wild shouts of defiance
and rushed to the King's palace, waving aloft their swords and spears
and battleaxes.

King Kitticut, so completely surprised that he was bewildered, gazed at
the approaching host with terror and grief.

"They are the men of Regos and Coregos!" he groaned. "We are, indeed,
lost!"

Then he bethought himself, for the first time, of his wonderful pearls.
Turning quickly, he ran back into the palace and hastened to the hall
where the treasures were hidden. But the leader of the warriors had
seen the King enter the palace and bounded after him, thinking he meant
to escape. Just as the King had stooped to press the secret spring in
the tiles, the warrior seized him from the rear and threw him backward
upon the floor, at the same time shouting to his men to fetch ropes and
bind the prisoner. This they did very quickly and King Kitticut soon
found himself helplessly bound and in the power of his enemies. In this
sad condition he was lifted by the warriors and carried outside, when
the good King looked upon a sorry sight.

The Queen and her maidens, the officers and servants of the royal
household and all who had inhabited this end of the Island of Pingaree
had been seized by the invaders and bound with ropes. At once they
began carrying their