“The friendship of a king’s father for a king’s son,” Myles Cabot replied with dignity. The two drew themselves up proudly and regarded each other eye-to-eye for a moment. “It is well,” Otto the Bold declared. “Good-by.” And he departed under the escort of a Vairking guard. “The master knows best,” Crota remarked, sadly shaking his head, “but I should have run the wretch through the body.” The next morning Cabot thanked the headman of Sur for his hospitality, and took up the return trail for Vairkingi, the vacancies in his ranks being filled by the loan of soldiers from Sur. The party had gone but a short distance when they found the way barred by a formidable body of Roies. But before these came within bow-shot a bullet from Cabot’s rifle brought two of them to the ground, whereupon the rest turned and fled precipitately. Later in the day a bend in the road brought them suddenly upon a furry warrior. Myles fired, and the man instantly fell to the ground. But when they reached the body there was not even a scratch to be found on it; the bullet had missed. “Dead of fright,” Myles thought; but no, for the heart was still beating, although faintly, and the lungs were still functioning. “Sit up there!” Myles ordered. “Can’t,” The Roy replied. “I’m dead.” “Then I’ll make you alive again,” his captor declared, placing his hands on the head of the Roy. “_Abra cadabra camunya._” Thereat the soldier sat up with a sigh of relief, and opened his eyes. “Stand up!” Myles ordered. For reply the Roy jumped to his feet and started running for cover. “Halt!” the earth-man commanded. “Halt, or I’ll kill you again!” The man stopped. “Return!” The man returned, like a sleep walker. “What do you mean by running away? Now listen intently. Are you one of the men of Grod?” “Yes.” “Then go to Otto, the son of Grod, and tell him that it is the order of Cabot the Magician that Vairking expeditions into these mountains, in search of golden cubes and other minerals, be unmolested. Tell Otto that he can recognize my expedition by the blue flags which they will carry hereafter. Now go. I have spoken.” The Roy warrior ran up the trail and this time was not halted. “Another mistake,” Crota remarked, half to himself. The rest of the return to Vairkingi was without event. On the way the radio man made notes of the best deposits of quartz, limestone, and fluorspar. Also he carried with him a few large sheets of mica. But he found no traces of galena, zinc ore, or platinum. These would require at least one further expedition. Crota spared no extravagant language in relating to Jud the exploits of Cabot the Minorian in raising the siege of the village of Sur; and Jud repeated the story with embellishments to Theoph the Grim. Also the long deferred sleight-of-hand performance was held at the palace, to the great mystification of the white-furred king.