PRINCE CHIP;

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 17 August 1893, Page 44

PRINCE CHIP;

AND HIS ADVENTURES IN SEARCH Otf THE STOLEN PRINCESS AND THH INVISIBLE CROWN;

By Harry i£ow, IN iaM Mitiioft.

Chapter V.

The monster slept a sleep equivalent to hid size, and snored Such a gentle reminder as Prince Chip gave him to " wake up " when he quietly stepped on to the smooth surface of his bald head was not calculated to terminate his slumbers. There was plenty of room to roam about ; but Chip stood still, and, it must be faithfully chronicled, smiled the smile of the triumphant. Oar young friend Nineteen Ninety-two was hopping about like a sparrow all over the ground provided by the top of the hairless head. He revelled in the circle of space surrounding him. He motioned to his bigger friend and brother to keep where he was and not walk about. He suggested that ho should sit down and rest, whilst he himself would act as scout and scrimmage round a bit. Chip sat down willingly, and when Nineteen Ninety-two had been gone some little timebeing only human and wearied and tired outdrowsiness crept over him, and he welcomed the kindly arms of Morpheus, and gladly fell into them. v Meanwhile young Mr Midget was taking J stock of the enemy, who was still snoring f loudly. He made his way very quietly across the top of the great head, slipped over the fore* head, and found himself holding on to one of thp shaggy eyebrows. V What a youDg rascal he was ! Oh, how W8 pity those who will have to reign under him in the years to come ! Still one thing is certain-* — he'll provide plenty of fun for the children who live during his 12 months of power. There is no questioning that, for, impossibly daring and dangerous as it may appear, yet it mu6t needs be truly written that ho actually dropped from ono of the hairy fibres of the monster's eyebrows on to the eyelid beneath, and sat there chuckling to himself and clapping his tiny hands at the frolicsome sensation provided by the up-and-down motion of those huge lids as they beat time with tho giant's deep breathing. Suddenly the owner of the eyebrows heaved a sigh. The midget adventurer wisely regarded it as a signal for a probable awakening. He jumped up and climbed back again. He found' Chip sleeping soundly. " Wake up ! Wake up !" v ho cried. " We, mußt be off ! Wake up, Prince ! " But Chip was sleeping heavily.^ • " That's the worst of having a small tenof voice," said the Midget. " Well, he's got to awake; so here goes." ■ • . The next minute he was in Chip's ear ana tickling him. Chip woke with a start, put teafinger into his ear, and pulled out— the little one. ••You're a nice fellow to go to sleep at such a time as this. Nobody will ever want to go to sleep when I drop on to the world outside. They'll all be so terribly wide awake that they'll be frightened to fall off even into forty winks, for fear anybody else should have earned tuppence more than they might have done "in- the meantime. Now, listen to me ! " "At your service," assured Chip; "I'm ready for anything ; that sleep has done me good." ' • Right. Now, one of these days children will write in their copy-books that ' discretion is the better part of valour.' So it is. You catffe kill this fellow yet ; you could only cut at his face and chip it about. Ha, ha, ha ! He, he, he ! Chip it about— chip about it ! Ain't I a merry midget ? You'd wake him up and he might make a meal of us, and I have no desire at present to explore his interior. You can'fc get at his heart. You couldn't pierce through those silver scales. His skin is harder than his heart ; you might be Charity itself, but you couldn't get near it. No. Our programme is— retreat ! " "There I" disagree with you," said Chip. " I would much sooner rid this place of such a monster. On his own confession he has captured many of my fellow countrymen. What better act could I perform than make him pay the penalty of his deeds." "Wrong— wrong, altogether wrong," cried the midget. " Kill him ! Very well, they'd quickly get to hear of ib in Walrustus's kingdom, and a poor chance you'd stand. He thinks we're anywhere else but here. Very well. Let him. Now is our opportunity to get away. We are in the Silver Valley ; the gates of the city cannot be far off ; let us make for them at once."

Nineteen Ninety-two's reasoning was successful. Chip realised it. If he attacked this creature about the face and probably spoilt his beauty for the remainder of hia days his longing for reveDge would be a thousandfold. Possibly he might have to pass by that way when he re« gained the Princess Sunshine. 11 Come on, then," he cried, and the midget, happy that he had carried his proposal, perched himself gaily on Chip's Bhoulder once more. " Step quietly, and go down the back way, said the little one. " That way, I mean," pointing to the few thick locks— as strong and as tough a* nnies— which huDg dishevelled at the back c t lie giant's neck. Chip sheathed his sword aud started. The midget said he should like to take away a look of hair as a memento, but the severing of it was not to bo commended under the circumstances. From the hairy fibres they quickly dropped down to the wings on the shoulder bones, which were still moving. ClimbiDg round, they were now on the massive silver scales, and Chip could tread with more certainty, for the pressure of his weight was not likely to be felt through the thickness of the metal. It took some little time to complete the journey, but at last the adventurous couple reached the tail. "Now, jump," the midget advised; and they were once more in the Silver Valley. The kingdom of Walrustus was one of the greatest, wealthiest, and most influential beneath the ocean. The Silver Volley w i the highway from Earth to the City Gates. Instinct told Chip that when once within those gates it was a case of life or death, for those unknown portals would be for ever closed upon him, and escape impossible. Yet he was very happy. « Sunshine! Sunshine! My darling Sunshine!" ho continually murmured, io attempt to go into this wonderful and never-before-entered realm without some extraordinary aid was madness. He gripped his fairy sword tighter, and happily remembered all the marvellous properties it possessed. He thought of the uupurchasablo advice, the wisdom, and wit of that interesting little individual who was sitting on his shoulder. So he was encouraged. On he went, sometimes picking his way between the great sea-shells, many of. which

Were like beautiful pearls, and sparkled with all and many more of the colours which make the rainbow radiant. Chip put his hand across his eyes, and endeavoured to penetrate into the distance. It all seemed far, far away ; but it was evident that when he once reached those gates he would find himself in the water. Above the Silver Valley was the ocean, the sun of the heavens shining through into the very passage down which he was now going, but beyond were the kingdoms of the ocean, the inhabitants of which lived and had their being in the water itself. How should he fare, then, when he got to the end of this shining passage, and summoned the keeper of the gate to let him pass through P Again he strained his eyes. At last! At last ! He could now distinguish the lights), which glistened brightly, and were apparently the sparkling jets which illuminated the entrance to the city at the end of this wondrous walk. Quickening his footsteps, he hurried on, never halting for a moment to admire the beauties over which his feet were hastening. The treasures of the ocean were scattered along his path, but those far-away lights bade him not to linger. Nearer and nearer he got to them, yet they seemed never to come within his reach. For some hours thus he travelled, until the setting sun on the earth above, and the advent of the moon and out-coming of the stars flooded the ocean path with glory. With every step he took so was his heart fired with a greater, a more unquenchable courage. Now, now the lights beyond seemed to increase in size, growing bigger and bigger and bigger. Their steady glimmer told Chip that he was fast nearing his goal. On, on, on ! Only a little further to go — only a few more yards to travel. From the tiny and twinkling stars which appeared to him when first he had seen those distant diamonds they had grown into huge beacons. Now he could distinguish what they were shining upon. They glistened upon the gate which led to the kingdom of Walrustus. It was of the purest coral, every bar of which was studded and riveted together with pearls. Beyond it was the ocean, the waters of which came up to the gate, but never swept through the open bars. On either side of this grand portal were dolphins. Their heads and part of their bodies rested on rugged pieces of rock, and their tails, which curved into the air, each supported a shell of indescribable beauty. The shells were of pure white and wondrously polished.; so clear were they, indeed, that their polished surface sparkled as a thousand stars reflecting forth the light which the Prince had seen far away, beneath the beams of- which he could now stand and feast his wondaring eyes. Again the Prince stepped forward. He " reached the gate. The eyes of the dolphins glistened and their mouths twittered angrily, but they never moved their bodies one bit. Chip was so impressed by this scene that he crept on tiptoe up to the coral bars. His hand clutched one of the precious rails, and he could feel the gentle splashing , of the water. He peeped through. He saw that which made him take a firmer grip of his godmother's gift. The custodian of the gates sat there. Like all custodians he was enjoying a nap. His seat was within the shelter of a dazzling shell, which was firmly imbedded in the ground. Suddenly, whilst Chip was 1 in the act of peeping through, he stretched his great arms and legs, gave a terrific yawn which scattered in all directions some fishes which— probably taking advantage of his slumbers— had hitherto been resting upon the outside of the shell — rose from his seat and stood up. He was in form and figure as a man, but he was fully six times the length of any ordinary individual, and as broad' in proportion. His face was of a radiant crimson colour, the great cheeks of which flapped about with every step he took, whilst his nose wriggled perceptibly. From his ears were suspended what was — it is supposed at that period— fashionable marine earrings. They were priceless pearls in the shape of oyster shells. He wore a necklet of similar ocean ornaments about his great neck, and from his waist hung a bunch of keys, one of which sparkled more than its fellows, for it was of highly burnished gold. He was clothed in a garment of woven seaweed. There he stood, stretching his arms in the water, rubbing his eyes to rid himself ef any little remaining surplus of the sleep which he had just enjoyed. Suddenly he gave a fierce howl, and his eyebrows were almost lifted to the top of his head in angry amazement. He had caught sight of Chip. With hasty strides he rushed forward to the gate and glared through. Then he smiled. May that fearful smile never be seen by those •whose eyes fall on these lines. Putting his head through one of the coral bars, he shouted : ■ "Halloa, there! Who are you? What do you want ? " " Who am I ? " repeated Chip courageously. "My name is Chip— Prince Chip— and I want to come in."

" So you shall, my little beauty," came the answer of the giant gatekeeper, as he drew Back his immense cranium from between the bars and picked out the golden key from the bunch which dangled from his girdle. " Ho, ho ! Certainly. You shall come in," — and then he added inwardly with a rejoicing chuckle— "into me!"

"A very obliging gentleman," whispered Nineteen Ninety-two — " so kind of him to open the door without our knocking. Now, 'keep your eyes open, and don't forget that' I am within easy distance of you." The big custodian turned the lock, and with bub very little effort pulled the massive gates back towards him. He then advanced- bo the very edge of the water, and stood still looking down upon Chip with a patroni-ing smile. Chip waited patiently. It was very evident that this weighty watchman could not come out into the valley where Chip was standing, the pathway .of which was quite free from water. "Come in, come in," cried the gatekeeper. " Bo glad to see you." " Don't," whispered the midget; "get him outside. There is some reason for his not coming out here. If he was a proper giant he would grab you up at once. We'll entice him out, we'll exasperate him. You leave this little affair to me. Oh, if he would only put Kis ugly self outside into the fresh air." (To be continued.)