"Oh, ho!" cried Marvel; "I begin to understand. You are a prisoner."

"Yes; as you will also be shortly," answered the boy. "And then you
will understand another thing--that you were very reckless ever to
enter this cave."

"Why?" inquired the prince, who really knew little of the world, and
was interested in everything he saw and heard.

"Because it is the stronghold of the robber king, and when you opened
that gate you caused a bell to ring far down on the hillside. So the
robbers are now warned that an enemy is in their cave, and they will
soon arrive to make you a prisoner, even as I am."

"Ah, I see!" said the prince, with a laugh, "It is a rather clever
contrivance; but having been warned in time I should indeed be foolish
to be caught in such a trap."

With this he half drew his sword, but thinking that robbers were not
worthy to be slain with its untarnished steel, he pushed it back into
the jeweled scabbard and looked around for another weapon. A stout
oaken staff lay upon the ground, and this he caught up and ran with it
from the cave, placing himself just beside the narrow opening that led
into this rock-encompassed plain. For he quickly saw that this was
the only way any one could enter or leave the place, and therefore
knew the robbers were coming up the narrow gorge even as he had
himself done.

Soon they were heard stumbling along at a rapid pace, crying to one
another to make haste and catch the intruder. The first that came