ot to be able to see
their enemies.

"We must be near a sea cavern, if not within one," whispered
Princess Clia, and even as she spoke the network of scarlet arms
parted before them, leaving an avenue for them to swim out of the
cage. There was brighter water ahead, too, so the queen said without
hesitation:

"Come along, dear friends; but let us clasp hands and keep close
together."

They obeyed her commands and swam swiftly out of their prison and
into the clear water before them, glad to put a distance between
themselves and the loathesome sea devils. The monsters made no
attempt to follow them, but they burst into a chorus of harsh
laughter which warned our friends that they had not yet accomplished
their escape.

The four now found themselves in a broad, rocky passage, which was
dimly lighted from some unknown source. The walls overhead, below
them and at the sides all glistened as if made of silver, and in
places were set small statues of birds, beasts and fishes, occupying
niches in the walls and seemingly made from the same glistening
material.

The queen swam more slowly now that the sea devils had been left
behind, and she looked exceedingly grave and thoughtful.

"Have you ever been here before?" asked Trot.

"No, dear," said the Queen with a sigh.

"And do you know where we are?" continued the girl.

"I can guess," replied Aquareine. "There is only one place in all
the sea where such a passage as that we are in could exist without
my knowledge, and that is in the hidden dominions of Zog. If we are
indeed in the power of that fearful magician, we must summon all our
courage to resist him, or we are lost!"

"Is Zog more powerful than the mermaids?" asked Trot anxiously.

"I do not know, for we have never before met to measure our
strength," answered Aquareine. "But if King Anko could defeat the
magician, as he surely did, then I think I shall be able to do so."

"I wish I was sure of it," muttered Cap'n Bill.

Absolute silence reigned in the silver passage. No fish were there;
not even a sea flower grew to relieve the stern grandeur of this
vast corridor. Trot began to be impressed with the fact that she was
a good way from her home and mother, and she wondered if she would
ever get back again to the white cottage on the cliff. Here she was,
at the bottom of the great ocean, swimming through a big tunnel that
had an enchanted castle at the end, and a group of horrible sea
devils at the other