DAVID ran toward the open door and freedom.
Out he leaped and down the tall flight of stone steps to the soft earth beneath.
Instantly his foot struck the sod, a sudden and piercing blast of sound burst out upon the silence of the night.
It was the iron horn that hung by the iron chain at the gateway; so sudden and keen was the blast that David stopped short and stood as though rooted to where he stood.
Then in an instant it was as though all the dead and silent castle had sprung awake into life.
Lights flashed out; there was an uproar of voices and a clashing and a clattering everywhere. Shutters banged open and doors banged shut. The lights came and went past the windows, and the shadows flew hither and thither across the walls.
And still the iron horn continued to sound its keen and piercing blast.
And now, through the shrill and stunning noise, David could hear another sound--a crashing clank and jingle and the rumbling thunderous tones of a giant voice.
It was the Iron Man, and he was coming.
Then David's wits came back to him like a flash, and he turned to run away.
Suddenly, as he turned to fly, he heard a voice he knew, calling: "Help! Help! Save me! Save me!"
He looked up above, and whom should he see, leaning out of a window close under the eaves, stretching out her arms toward him, but Phyllis.
Yes, Phyllis; but now grown into a beautiful young woman.
What with the noise and the uproar and the wonder of it all, David stood as though bewildered. "Is that you, Phyllis?" he cried.
"Yes; oh, yes!" she called. "Help me--help me away from here!"
"But I thought you were in the moon-garden," cried David.
"So I am," called Phyllis. "This is the moongarden! Oh, help me away from it!"
Still David stood like one in a maze, not knowing what to do.
The iron horn was still blowing its splitting blast; but through it all the clashing foot-steps of the Iron Man rang ever louder and louder, and nearer and nearer.
And hark! What was that? A bell ringing through all the tumult. David listened, and then he knew what bell it was. It was the Man-in-the-moon ringing his bell at the back door of the moon-house.
"Run, Phyllis," cried David, "up the backstairs, or else we are both lost!"
Then Phyllis's face disappeared from the window up under the eaves, and as David listened he could hear the voice of the Man-in-the-moon, though dull and muffled, speaking to her in the distance just as the old fellow had spoken to him--"Give me your hand--now; a long step--there; that is it." Then came the closing of a door--click!--clack!--and the next minute he heard Phyllis's feet coming running quickly up the back stairs that led from the moon-garden to the second story of the moon-house; nearer--nearer--nearer.--Then suddenly there she was standing beside him, panting from the rapid run.
David caught her by the arm. He could not believe that it was not all a dream until he felt that she was of real flesh and of real blood.
But the Iron Man was coming nearer and nearer. Now again he spoke, and his great voice rumbled and shook within the castle. "Where is he who stole my Wonder-Box and my Know-All Book?" Then the door opened, and out he strode, the fire and smoke rolling out from his nostrils into the still and breathless night.
Phyllis shrieked aloud.
Then David set his fingers to his lips, and blew a shrill, keen whistle.
Instantly, as it had promised, the Black Winged Horse was there, his snow-white pinions glistening in the pallid moonlight. There was not a moment to lose. Quickly David lifted Phyllis to the back of the horse. "To the moon-house!" he cried; and then himself leaped astride of it behind her.
The Iron Man saw them, and he gave a great roar of rage as he came rushing toward them.
Away leaped the horse. Away it sped swifter than the wind, carrying David and Phyllis and the Wonder-Box and the Know-All Book.
"Hold fast!" cried David.
"I will," said Phyllis. Her face was very pale. Her long hair blew back across his breast and face and lips in a soft and silky net.
The golden key still hung by the golden chain about David's neck. It swung from side to side, and every now and then he put his hand up to see if it were safe. He heard the Iron Man shouting and hallooing behind them. He turned and looked over his shoulder to see the smoking and flaming giant coming rushing after them.
Fast flew the Black Winged Horse, skimming like a swallow along the surface of the earth above the rocks and stones, the brambles and briers, but the Iron Man came almost as fast. Now and then he would stop to pick up a huge stone to hurl after them, but on sped the Winged Horse, and then on the Iron Man would come rushing again.
On and on they flew, until at last the darkness of night began to grow gray toward the east, and the daylight grew wider and wider.
Then the sun leaped up round. and red out of the east, and once again David turned his head and looked behind him. The Iron Man was still coming rushing after them like a whirlwind. And now the rising sun shone full in his face and turned it as red as blood, and the black smoke from his nostrils trailed away behind, melting and fading into the clear and lucid ether of early morning.
"Look!" said the horse. "But look ahead and not behind. Tell me, what do you see
Then David looked, shading his eyes from the level glare of the sun. 11 I see," said he, "something that shines like a flame of fire away--yes, it is the old woman's cottage upon the cliff, and beyond that I see the far-away edge of the ocean."
"Aye," said the Black Winged Horse, "and there my labor ends. That far I can carry you, but no further. Beyond the brow of the cliff you must go alone."
"But the Iron Man!" cried David.
"Beyond the cliff you must save yourself. I cannot carry you further than that."
"But Phyllis!" cried David again.
"You must save her, too. I cannot carry you further."
"But how shall we escape?" said David.
"You must go in at the door out of which you came. There is no other escape."
"But the fire," said David, "and the ice through which I passed."
"There will neither be fire to burn you any more nor ice to freeze you. He who has passed through them once, shall never have to pass through them again."
"But Phyllis," said David. "How will she pass through the fire and the ice?"
"Neither will they harm her while she is with you," said the Black Winged Horse.
Phyllis had listened to all that they had said; but she did not understand it.
Then David looked behind him again for the last time. The Iron Man was far, far behind.
Then they reached the end of their journey. The Black Winged Horse sped past the old woman's cottage. She was nowhere to be seen, but the white clothes were hanging out upon the line, blowing in the wind. On sped the Black Horse, and to the very edge of the cliff, and then he stopped short. "This is the end," cried he. "I can go no further."
David leaped to the earth, and then lifted Phyllis down from the horse's back.
Far below the breakers were dashing and foaming as white as milk among the rocks and boulders, and all about the face of the cliff, and away out into the empty air, the sea-gulls flew clamoring. But neither Phyllis nor David thought of what they saw. She looked over her shoulder at the looming Giant rushing toward them. "Oh, look!" she cried. "How fast he is coming!"
"But will you not now set me free?" said the horse.
"Yes," said David, "I will." He caught the bridle and loosed the buckle. "Farewell," said he, and as he spoke he stripped the bridle and the bit away.
The Black Horse gave a great neigh like the peal of a trumpet. Clashing his hoofs upon the rocks, he spread his wonderful white wings, and, leaping into the air, flew clapping and thundering away--away--away--now circling and soaring in upward spiral flight, until he became a spot upon the sky--twinkled--was lost-was there--was gone.