Meanwhile the
rest rushed on the king and the bodyguard, sent them flying, and
lifted the prostrate captain, who was all but pressed to death. It
was some moments before he recovered breath and consciousness.
'Where's the princess?' cried Curdie, again and again.
No one knew, and off they all rushed in search of her.
Through every room in the house they went, but nowhere was she to
be found. Neither was one of the servants to be seen. But Curdie,
who had kept to the lower part of the house, which was now quiet
enough, began to hear a confused sound as of a distant hubbub, and
set out to find where it came from. The noise grew as his sharp
ears guided him to a stair and so to the wine cellar. It was full
of goblins, whom the butler was supplying with wine as fast as he
could draw it.
While the queen and her party had encountered the men-at-arms,
Harelip with another company had gone off to search the house.
They captured every one they met, and when they could find no more,
they hurried away to carry them safe to the caverns below. But
when the butler, who was amongst them, found that their path lay
through the wine cellar, he bethought himself of persuading them to
taste the wine, and, as he had hoped, they no sooner tasted than
they wanted more.
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