if father is still alive."

Daimur ordered the marines to advance, and as the two guards did
nothing but blink at them, and no other defenders appeared it only took
them a few seconds to reach the palace door.

Prince Tasmir bounded up the steps, turned the big handle and dashed
into the hall with Prince Redmond and Daimur close at his heels. They
met with no opposition from the servants, who appeared to be as sleepy
as the guards, and immediately began a search for the poor old King.
Upstairs and down they went and even into the dungeons, but could find
no trace of him.

Prince Redmond at length stopped and began to weep, for they all felt
that he was dead, and had perhaps been murdered.

Daimur tried to comfort the princes by telling them that they must
search the kingdom through before thinking the worst and suggested that
they go out into the city again and see if his cap would not tell him
something about it.

They left the palace and walked over the lawn and past the Royal
gardens, and finally crossed a rustic bridge over a pretty stream which
wound in and out through the grounds.

"Where does that river flow?" asked Daimur, stopping suddenly. He had
on his cap.

"Oh, that," said Tasmir, "is the Laurel River. It flows right through
the kingdom, down to the sea on the other side of the island."

"Does anybody drink its waters?" asked Daimur, taking out his
spectacles and putting them on.

"Why of course," said Prince Redmond proudly. "It is the source of
water supply for nearly the whole of the kingdom. There isn't purer
water anywhere in the world."

"Purer," said Daimur, who was stooping to examine the waters through
his spectacles, "why, it's poisoned!"

"Poisoned!" exclaimed both the princes, looking at each other
incredulously. "Impossible!"

"I tell you it is," said Daimur, "the poison is an oily substance which
covers the surface of the water. It may not be deadly; I cannot tell."

"Then that's what ails our subjects," cried Tasmir. "They must be
drinking this poison every day."

"Where is the source of this river?" asked Daimur.

Prince Redmond turned and pointed to the highest hill behind them. "In
Mirror Lake, on that hilltop," he said.

"Let us go there at once then," said Daimur, and leaving his marines on
guard duty around the palace he followed the two princes, who had taken
a path that led along the stream. This grew rough and stony as they
came to higher ground, and th