FURTHER ADVENTURES 127

not in it; some were rubbing gold-stones as
if to polish them to the highest degree ;
some were doing one thing and some another,
but by far the greater part appeared to be
watching the others, without attempting to
do anything themselves. Beyond these
people the Prince could see some of the
same race, walking up and down before the
palace, after the manner of soldiers on guard,
and he had no doubt that it was the duty of
these to protect the building and its contents.
Prince Filderkin now knew that he had
arrived at a most important part of his
undertaking, and the only difficulty he felt
was to decide what to do next.

There, right before his eyes, was un-
doubtedly the building in which was de-
posited that time-honoured hump the posses-
sion of which would secure the removal of
his own. But how to get it? that was the
question, and it was one not easily to be
answered. He thought carefully over all
the words which Feeble John had uttered
upon the subject, and the more he thought,
the less he found himself able to decide
what to do. I donot know, indeed, how
long he might have stood there if he had been