"_Euphrosyne, Fair Goddess of Mirth:_ "Dragonfel the wicked enchanter holds us captive in his country. Help us, we beseech you, before it is too late. "QUEEN TITANIA." While she wrote Florimel noticed with some uneasiness that water was trickling down the walls and that in some places on the floor pools had already formed. "Tie the note to the dove's neck," he said. "Let us dispatch it immediately." They did so, and he flung the little creature upward toward the shaft. Its talons clutched a side precariously while it fluttered its wings to sustain itself in the frail, uncertain hold it had. [Illustration] "Poor little thing!" said Titania, when she noticed that it was in great danger of falling. "It cannot help us." "Look!" cried the excited Violet. "It is making for the opening." To the relief of all its watchers the bird crept through the shaft and disappeared. "Good luck go with it!" was Dame Drusilda's fervent ejaculation. "Oh, Titania, Titania," said Florimel, "it may be our happiness depends upon that bird!" Then almost immediately afterward to their utter horror and consternation water in immense volumes began to pour down through the shaft until blinded and drenched as they suddenly became it seemed to them as if all the flood-gates of the earth had been opened. "Quick!" shouted Florimel. "We must get out of here!" He flung open the door, fearing that the Red Spirit was still outside, but the terrified clamor of voices that rose from all sides had caused him to desert his post. [Illustration] The water which in an incredibly short time had risen nearly to their waists began racing down the passage, but still it did not appear to recede. "Let us go at once," urged Florimel, "for if we stay here we shall be lost." He gathered up the trembling Titania in his arms, and with his burden staggered through the water toward the door, while Dame Drusilda, Violet, and Daffodil followed close upon his heels. Down the passage that had now become a violent raceway of raging, foaming water they all fled, for Florimel realized that their only chance of escape, small as it might be, was to join those who were familiar with the entrances to the mine. [Illustration] But as they got closer to the main-shaft the confusion and uproar grew wilder, and with a sickening feeling he became aware that those whose help he had hoped for were quite as powerless as he. Ear-splitting shrieks of horror made a very pandemonium of awful sound, and over all was heard the despairing cry of Grouthead: "The mine is flooded, and the force-pumps can't save us. We shall all be drowned!" CHAPTER XX DISASTER TO DRAGONFEL [Illustration] Dragonfel's mine was flooded, and as the water kept pouring in from all sides, there was no escape for the unfortunates who were in its chambers.