PRINCE RICARDO. 225

 

“The lost are found to-day,” he said; ‘‘be
you ready to welcome them.”

Then, mounting the Flying Horse, with Dick
beside him, he rose towards the peak of the
hill where the Earthquaker had his home.
Already the ground was beginning to tremble ;
the Earthquaker was stirring in his sleep, for
the maiden of the new song had not been sent
to him, and the year ended at noon, and then
he would rise and ruin Manoa.

The sun was approaching mid-day, and Prigio
put spurs to the Flying Horse. Ten minutes
more, and the sun would look straight down
the crater of the hollow hill, and the Earth-
quaker would arouse himself when the lght
and the heat fell on his body.

Already the light of the sun shone slanting
half-way down the hollow cone as the whirl-
pool of air caught the Flying Horse, and drew
him swiftly down and down to the shadowy
halls. There knelt and wept the nurses of
the Earthquaker on the marble floor; but
Jaqueline stood a little apart, very pale, but
not weeping.

Ricardo had leaped off before the horse
touched the ground, and rushed to Jaqueline,
and embraced her in his arms; and, oh! how
glad she was to see him, so that she quite
forgot her danger and laughed for joy.

“Oh! you have come, you have come; I
knew you would come!” she cried.