Part 27 (2/2)

”Take mine, my liege,” said half-a-dozen voices. But the young man's face set.

”I will not leave the beast,” he said resolutely. ”It hath done me good service and may do it again. See you! bring some of the men's lances and their halter ropes. Samur and I live together, or die together,” and he laid his young cheek to the horse's soft muzzle affectionately.

Then starting up, he set the men to work to form a criss-cross raft or sledge of lances on to which Samur was pulled by main force.

”'Tis all down hill now,” said he when it was finished, and seizing a rope strained at it.

”Nay! Sire!” remarked old Kasim drily--”If the Most Excellent choose to risk lives for the sake of a dumb brute, let them be the lives of dumb brutes, not Kings. Troopers! Six horses to save one!”

Babar hung his head, but held to the rope.

”Doubtless I am a brute also,” he murmured half to himself, ”so let me be dumb; save for this--G.o.d made me so!”

The staunch old warrior heard the words and shook his head. Yet in his heart of hearts he would not have altered one jot or one t.i.ttle in his idol. Zahir-ud-din Mahomed Babar was for him the first gentleman in the world.

”Truly,” said the latter with pious cheerfulness after a time, during which the sledge slipped easily down the steep slopes of snow, ”it is well said

'Looked at wisely with clear eyes Ills are blessings in disguise.'

But for this extreme depth of snow which till now hath seemed our worst enemy, we should all be tumbling down precipices and being lost in creva.s.ses.”

This was obvious; but it cheered the party, until in the far distance something more tangible showed to bring sudden alacrity to outwearied steps.

A hut surely!

And that figure on the lessening snow slopes--was it a man?

Still it was nigh bed-time prayers before they extricated themselves from the mouth of the valley and the villagers of Yaka-Aulang came out to meet the forlorn party, to help, and even to carry, some of them into warm houses, and thereinafter to slaughter fat sheep for them, bring a superfluity of hay and gra.s.s for their horses, and abundance of wood to kindle their fires.

Once again Babar felt that to pa.s.s from the cold and snow into such a village with its warm houses, and to escape from want and suffering to find such plenty of good bread and fat sheep as they did, was an enjoyment that can only be conceived by such as have suffered similar hards.h.i.+ps, or endured such heavy distress.

But better by far to him than this material satisfaction, was the glow at his heart when an old white-headed patriarch nodding by the fireside, mumbled--

”Never has it been done before, never since the memory of man hath Zerrin been pa.s.sed in such snow. Never hath any man ever conceived even the idea of pa.s.sing it at such season--Never! Never!”

It was something to have done! After this, marching was easy. But the strain had told upon the courage of the rank and file, and once when the little party came upon a clan of Hazaras who disputed pa.s.sage in a narrow defile, there was near disaster. The young King, who was in the rear, galloped up to find his force retreating before a deadly flight of arrows.

”Stand!” he shouted. ”Stand!” But the men would not be rallied.

”Fools!” he cried, rising in his stirrups, a fine young figure, unarmoured, without sword or lance, without helmet or aught but his bow and quiver--for the attack was entirely unforeseen and he had been, for the time, off-duty--”Call ye yourselves servants to stand still while the master works? Lo! He who hires a servant hires him for his need; not to stand still like a slipped camel!”

So with a wild _huroos.h.!.+_ he set his horse spurring forward. The reckless bravery did its work. The men roused by it turned to follow.

The ambuscade was reached, the hill beyond climbed after the enemy, who, seeing the troopers were in real earnest, fled like deer. So the danger pa.s.sed; but Babar wondered vaguely that night if it was to be ever so; if the great ma.s.s of humanity ever needed a flaming match ere they would catch fire.

But there was more trouble to come, as, with such haste as was possible--for the snow which was very heavy that winter, hindered them even in the valleys--they pushed on towards Kabul.

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