Part 2 (1/2)

But it was not the prettiness of the picture which made Prince Askurry pause It was the child's open fearless face which reht--of that dear, beloved father whose ood influence in the lives of his sons Babar the Brave! Babar of the Generous Heart! the Kindly Set him?

But behind Prince Askurry were others who did not reer to kill and have done with Humayon and his son for ever

And when they saw Prince Askurry pause, they were quick with advice

”It is unwise to spare snakes' spawn,” said one

[Illustration: _Prince Askurrystrodeinto the tent_]

”The boy is father to therats as well as old ones”

And still Prince Askurry paused while poor Head-nurse and Wet-nurse went sick with fear under their veils at whatto happen, and Old Faithful's hand clasped the hilt of his sword tighter, since co master But Roy's keen eyes showed--as the peacock's feather fan swept past them backwards and forwards--like a hawk's as it hovers above a partridge There was in them a defiance, a certainty that victory h filled the tent ”Peace! brothers,” said a sneering voice, ”Prince Askurry prefers to leave the snake to fight with his own son in the future”

The taunt told It was true! Better to scotch the snake now, than to leave it to be dangerous by and by; dangerous perhaps to his own little son as but a few years older than Baby Akbar

Prince Askurry strode forward draord in hand; but whether he really e thing happened Baby Akbar had been listening to the fierce voices just as he had listened to the angry voices when Adam had refused to salute And now he saw some one before him who appeared to have no intention--as Ada the fine thing he had done when the latter had been naughty, up went the little hand again, and once more the loud, deep, baby voice said imperiously:

”Salute! Slave! salute!”

The words were barely uttered when by pure chance Prince Askurry's foot caught in the ragged carpet, and----?

And down he came flat as a pancake on the floor in the very lowliest salute that ever was made!

The next moment, however, he sat up, half-stunned, and looked wrathfully at his little nephew

But Baby Akbar's honest open face was full of grieved sy his quaintly crowned head, ”tumbu down

Nanna kiss it,for a moment or two Then the racious offer fro his heart soft He sprang to his feet and waved by his councillors to cruelty

”Go,who is no true King if ye will, and kill hioes with me to Kandahar; the stuff of which he is made counts for life, not for death”

Then with a sudden generous impulse, for he was at heart his father's son, he held the hilt of his draord in token of vassalage for Baby Akbar to touch

And the child, clever, observant beyond his years, reers to Old Faithful's weapon, put out his little hand solemnly and touched it

Behind their close-folded veils Head-nurse and Wet-nurse wept for joy

And the old trooper's grip relaxed and the hard relentless look faded from Roy's face