second scheme of the goblins, who, fancying the miners of more
importance to the upper world than they were, had resolved, if they
should fail in carrying off the king's daughter, to flood the mine and
drown the miners. Then he explained what the miners had done to
prevent
it. The goblins had, in pursuance of their design, let loose all the
underground reservoirs and streams, expecting the water to run down
into
the mine, which was lower than their part of the mountain, for they
had,
as they supposed, not knowing of the solid wall close behind, broken a
passage through into it. But the readiest outlet the water could find
had turned out to be the tunnel they had made to the king's house, the
possibility of which catastrophe had not occurred to the mind of the
young miner until he placed his ear close to the floor of the hall.
What was then to be done? The house appeared in danger of falling,
and
every moment the torrent was increasing.
"We must set out at once," said the king. "But how to get at the
horses!"
Madhuri Noah
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