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As it will take two days of hard riding for our friends to reach their destination, we will leave them, and return for a time to the gentle Mahbracca, who, when she had left the Prince, had gone to her private room to prepare an ingenious wire arrangement, which she called a "prince-trap," in which he was to be inclosed and hung up before the window of the Princess, for the amusement of this lively sorceress.
With his hands upon his knees, the Afrite bent down his head, and looked steadfastly at the Prince with glaring eyes. Advancing towards this formidable sentinel, the Prince inquired of him where he should find the Princess, if she were shut up here, or where he could see the sorceress Mahbracca.
Directly, a small window at one side of the gate was opened, and a ghoul put his head out. Seeing that it was a Prince who knocked, he drew in his head, and opened the gate. The Prince quickly entered. "I wish," said he, in an imperious voice, "to see the Princess whom the wicked Mahbracca has doubtless imprisoned in this cavern." "O!" said the ghoul, grinning horribly, "certainly!
"Ah ha! my vigorous Prince," cried she, "why do you stop? Hasten, hasten! Swiftest of youths, the Princess awaits us!" Incensed by her mockery, he gave a mighty plunge into the sand before him, and surged along like a ship in the ocean, while Mahbracca skipped gayly by him, playfully kicking the sand into his eyes. "You see the advantage of lightness, my dear," cried she.
At this moment the Prince perceived, a short distance behind Mahbracca, a small, black, and shining demon, whom he immediately recognized as the little fellow he had seen in pickle. The young rascal was pulling and tugging at a great wire machine that had been dropped by the followers of Mahbracca when they ran away.
When he heard this, the old sea-gentleman folded his arms and looked very grave. "Mahbracca is at the bottom of this," said he. "The Prime Minister would never have thought of imprisoning the Princess, if that wretched sorceress had not put it into his head. I have no doubt that she now has the Princess in her power, and very likely shut up in her retreat." "What!" cried the Prince, "where is it?
"Off with the lid!" shouted Mahbracca, and instantly a number of the slaves seized the cover and dragged it off, when a great, thick, poisonous smoke burst out of it, which would have destroyed our friends in a few moments, had not they involuntarily sprung back and clapped their handkerchiefs to their faces.
He related the remarkable fate of Mahbracca, and advised his hearers to forget their wrath against her, as she must, for the rest of her life, be harmless, and to conduct the Princess back to the mighty city, and there to establish her in whatever rights she possessed, that is, if it were proved she had any at all.
Where is her cave? I will go instantly and rescue my beloved Princess!" and he drew his sword of adamant and waved it over his head. "Ah my friend!" said the old man of the water, "you could do little against the powerful Mahbracca and her minions. But you might go there to be sure, and find out if she really has possession of the Princess. But then you may lose your life."
The Afrite, after informing the Prince that the great Mahbracca would soon attend him, left him, and returned to his station on the other side of the door. Looking around him, he saw, by the bright light which now filled the room, that against each of the walls was a row of cages, containing snakes of various grades of venom, placed in order, according to their deadly properties.
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