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