CHAPTER XIV.SURPRISED.
Harry could see no one, of course, as he walked towards the glowing furnaces, for he had no elfin hat upon his head. But the elves soon caught sight of him, and immediately began dancing about in delight, shouting, “Hurrah! hurrah! Here is Prince Harry!”
“Somebody bring me a hat,” said Harry. “I can’t see a single one of you.”
At once a dozen of them ran forward and cried, “Here, Prince, take mine!” But before he had a chance to get hold of one of them, he heard Kitey’s shrill little voice ordering the others to stand aside.
“Here is Wamby’s hat, dear Prince,” cried Kitey. “He left it in my care, for he knew you would come down some time.”
“There, that is better,” said Harry, as heput the hat on his head. “Now, little chap, let us hurry away to see Wamby.”
They found His Majesty in the Grand Reception Hall, and Harry told him everything that had befallen him since they were separated.
“I was sure you would come down soon,” said Wamby, “and have had all my workmen making spears. We have enough now to arm all of the elves; but how can we get across the lake? The Gnomes not only keep the wind turned on over there, but also took away every vessel from this side.”
“I think we can remedy that,” replied Harry. “Can we not cross the lake on rafts or some vessels of our own construction? Or better still, I will cross alone, for I shall only require one boat; then, once on the other side, I can bring over the boats for all the rest of you.”
So the elves, with Harry’s help, constructed, in less than an hour’s time, a temporary boat, much like a raft, made of boards nailed together, and just large enough for Harry to stand on. They also made a paddle, of a narrow board with larger ends.
The elves watched breathlessly as he withdifficulty propelled himself along, the wind against him, retarding his progress by many minutes. Undaunted and untiring in his efforts, he at last made his way to the other side of the lake, where his first act was to gather the boats together (for the Gnomes had left them unguarded, never supposing Harry could so boldly capture them), then to turn off the wind entirely, so that it should blow in neither direction. In safety he once more went back to his friends, and they all lost no time, except in grateful thanks to their Prince, in recrossing the lake to their destination.
They made their way quickly to the antechamber, but were surprised to find no guards anywhere on their way. When they reached that place, and still found no sign of a guard, and discovered, furthermore, that the door of the Reception Hall was bolted, Wamby exclaimed, “Some of the Gnomes must have seen us and carried word to the King!”
Harry considered a moment, then ordered Wamby to count the elves, to see if perchance there was a deserter in the camp. Sure enough, it was discovered that one of them was missing, and to their horror and dismay, they knew hemust have escaped, without their notice, to warn the Gnomes.
“The traitor!” exclaimed Harry; “but there is no time to cry over spilled milk. What can we do now?” After a moment’s consideration he said, “I have a plan. We can all go through the Passage of the Toad to the other side of the Reception Hall and enter the Hall by the secret door near the wardrobe.”
“But the toad!” said Wamby, in a trembling voice.
“You won’t have to go near him,” said Harry. “He is, or was when I saw him last, at the foot of the steps leading to the trap-door under the Hall, and you needn’t go to that end of the main passage at all. We’ll simply go through the passage that runs from this antechamber, and that will take us within a step of the passage that runs up near the chamber under the rock in the park. Besides, I’ll go ahead and give warning if the toad is in the way.”
It was finally agreed to try the plan, and they all made their way through safely, without a glimpse of the toad, and reached the secret door. But that also was bolted on the inside.
“They have been warned of our coming, as you feared,” said Wamby.
“It is, indeed, so,” replied Harry. “Well, suppose you and the others remain here while I reconnoitre. Be ready to rush in if I open the door.”
Borrowing Wamby’s lantern-box, the boy went back to the Passage of the Toad, and mounted the steps leading to the trap-door under the dais. Part way up the steps, he found the toad. The steps were very low, being built for little Pin Elves, so it was easy enough for a slender toad to hop from one to another.
“Halloa, little hoppy!” said Harry; “you’re getting spry, aren’t you? Just keep up courage a little longer, old fellow, and you’ll be released from your prison.”
Ascending to the top of the steps, the boy opened the door slightly, and peered forth.
The Hall was full of Gnomes, most of them being armed. A large guard was stationed at each door, but the main body of soldiers was in the centre of the Hall. The King was upon the throne, while a few members of his body-guard were below on the floor a little to his left.
Harry studied the situation for a minute, and then he opened the trap-door, leaped clear over the throne, rushed by the body-guard to the wardrobe, and vaulted upon the top of that familiar friendly refuge. He thought that on top of the wardrobe he would be near the secret door, and that, by watching an opportunity he could drop down, unbolt the door, and admit the Pin Elves. But now, to his chagrin, he noticed that the wardrobe had been moved some distance away from the secret door.
The Gnomes, at his appearance, stood for a moment in silent astonishment, for they supposed him to be still lying bound where they had thrown him, in the Passage of the Toad. But they speedily recovered themselves, and crowded around the wardrobe, yelling and howling with rage.
“Build a fire and smoke him out!” growled the King.
Immediately the wood was brought and laid in a semicircle and ignited, the powder was sprinkled upon the flame, and a dense, stifling smoke enveloped the boy.
“I must run for it,” thought he.
He stood it as long as he could, and then he dropped to the floor, leaped through the smoke and flame, dashed through the mass of Gnomes about the fire, and ran towards the dais.
The Gnomes had been expecting him to do this, and had prepared for it. They had twisted together a number of their strongest ropes, and several lengths of this twisted rope were laid in various places along the floor, with fifty Gnomes holding the end of each length. One of these pieces of rope was stretched near the lower step of the dais, directly across the path that Harry was taking. Just before he reached it, the Gnomes who were holding it by the ends raised it several inches above the floor and hauled it taut, and the boy tripped over it and fell sprawling in front of the throne.
Before he could recover himself, the rope was wound several times about his ankles, and another piece was slipped over his head and hauled so tightly about his neck as nearly to strangle him. Both of his hands were still free, and he managed to turn partly over and grasp the rope around his neck and pull upon one side of it hard enough to loosen it somewhat.
But by this time nearly all of the Gnomes were about him, and presently they had ropes wound around both of his hands, and he was beyond the power of struggling.
Then a strange thing happened. Harry heard a shriek of terror from the throne, and looking up, he saw the King of the Gnomes, Cattisack, Grumpy, the Grand Prime Minister, and the Grand Recorder, all simultaneously fall forward from their seats and lie prone upon the steps of the dais. At the same time he felt the bonds about his neck and limbs loosen, and everything around him became as still as death.