“Yes,” replied Mr. Poodle, “and our swords are far too few to withstand an onslaught from so many big burly ruffians. I was going to suggest that we make a dash for the Castle and bar the doors. Our chances would then be better. But judging from the sounds, I fear that the Castle is already occupied.”
Meanwhile, much excitement prevailed among all the Ladies who by now were occupying one of the pavilions on the far side of the lawn. Tommy attributed this excitement to a fear which the circumstances rendered only natural. But now the excitement seemed to be from some other cause, and presently the King was surprised to see Queen Helen, accompanied by the Royal Ladies, come hurrying across the lawn.
“O, Tommy,” said the Queen, “an old lady, an old servant, I think, has just told me she knows of a secret passage underground, through which we can escape! come quickly!”
The old dame, a little lady wearing a tall peaked cap, had followed immediately after the Queen. “Yes, your Majesty, I can show you the way; come with me,” she said.
That funny little twinkle went dancing about in Mr. Poodle’s eyes again, when he saw the old dame. There was a twinkle in her eyes, too; but though she tipped him a courtsey and he bowed politely, neither spoke even one word to the other.
On the lawn, midway between where the King and his men had assembled, and the pavilion from which the Queen had just come, there foamed a beautiful fountain, made in the manner of a great marble basin. On the rim of the basin there was the green head of a great bronze {139} fish, apparently just rising from out the water. On the back of the fish sat a chubby little boy, sculptured so faithfully in marble as almost to seem alive.
The little old dame hurriedly led the King and Queen, accompanied by all the company, straight towards the great head of the fish. Putting forth her hand, she three times wiggled the big toe of the chubby boy; at the third wiggle the mouth of the fish opened, revealing a long flight of stairs running down under the fountain. The next minute, the little old dame stepped into this mouth and onto the stairs, being quickly followed by all the others. The King was the last to enter. As he did so, he turned for one look at the Castle, and saw the infuriated Red Beard and his followers entering the gardens. Then the jaws of the fish closed and the passage became sealed.
The way was now pitch dark. Overhead could be heard the tumbling waters of the fountain. A scarey sound that seemed too, but not half so scarey as the terrible wild cry of the baffled Red Beard, which could be heard even through the thick walls of marble.
King Tommy could hear the step, step, step, of those ahead of him and the muffled drone of their voices, as they spoke words of encouragement to one another. “Where are we?” he wondered. Then his feet no longer kept going down when he stepped, but travelled on a level pavement, and he knew that the end of the stairs had been reached. Minute after minute passed, and still the passage continued. Would its end never be reached? Could it be possible the little old dame was a Grumbletown spy and had deceived them? Did the way lead to some trap? With these thoughts chasing through his mind, {140} the King came almost to the point of wishing that the company had remained in the garden.
The next moment, however, he realized that almost any fate would be better than that which would have befallen them at the hands of King Red Beard and his ruffians. Then he remembered the look in the old dame’s eyes, when she had bid them hurry, and he thought, “I won’t believe any ill of her before it happens. She looked kind and honest, and I am sure in the end everything will come out all right.”