Part 7 (1/2)

”God save the Heir-to-Eave the lead, and from every side rose the cry:

”God save the Heir-to-Empire!”

[Illustration: _The child had slipped it onto his little forefinger_]

Prince Askurry's face fell He had not meant to rouse loyalty, but he was quick and clever, so he saw that it _had_ been roused, and that noas not the time to try and stifle it So his frown turned to a s hihtly, ”has forestalled er myself before you all, in token that he does in truth represent our King, but praise be to Heaven! he has savedlive the Heir-to-Empire!”

But the nobles as they passed out of the assembly, and the people who heard the tale outside, said it was a strange happening that the innocent child should so claiht And cruel brother kuether once more, and swore it was tiet at the child somehow

But by this time, if Prince Askurry had not quite made up his mind how he should treat Baby Akbar, he had quite settled that no one else--least of all cruel brother ku to do with the child

So the little prince was carefully watched and guarded, rather to Foster-father's and Old Faithful's relief Indeed, as ti accusto up and down before the entry to the narrow stairs that led up to the three roos

They were large, comfortable rooms, and the inner one was used by Foster-mother, Head-nurse and Baby Akbar, the outer one by the two reat wide hall of a place, they used as a living roohter than the others, since it had slits of ithout glass, of course--high up in the walls, and though these let the cold as well as the winter sunshi+ne into the rooreat fireplace, which kept the farther end of the hall nice and war their beds and sleep, while during the snowy days they would spread quilts on the floor, and Baby Akbar would have high jinks with Tumbu and Doere his constant playto him Not lullabies, for little Akbar's mind kept pace with his body, and every month saw him more and more of a boy and less and less of a baby

”Tell me how Rajah Rasalu did this,” or ”Tell me how Rajah Rasalu did that,” he would say; and so Roy's boyish voice would go over the old story of endless adventures, which has delighted so enerations

So ti dreadful happened So dreadful that it will really require another chapter to describe it But it was one night when Roy had been telling the little prince how ”Rajah Rasalu's friends forsook him for fear” And as this is rather a nice story, it shall be told here

”You know, great Kingly child,” began Roy, ”how Rajah Rasalu was born and how Rajah Rasalu set out into the world to seek for fortune, taking with him his dear horse, Baunwa-iraki, his parrot, Kilkila, who had lived with him since he was born, besides the Carpenter-lad and the Golds master So he journeyed north to a lonely place, all set with soht was dark, so he set a watch, and the golds prince slept by the Carpenter-lad, on a couch of clean, sweet leaves And lest the heart of the prince should sink, they sang a cheering song:

”'Cradled till now on softest down, Leaves are thy bed to-night; Yet grieve not thou at fortune's frown, Brave ht'

”And while they slept and the goldsmith watched, a snake slid out from the trees 'Noho are you?' quoth the Goldsmith-lad, 'who cos that have ventured within ten miles of this my place of rest,' it hissed, 'and noill slay you, too!' So they fought and fought, but the Goldsmith-lad he killed the snake in the end Then he hid the body under his shi+eld, lest the others ht be afraid, and he roused from his rest the Carpenter-lad, to take his share of the watch, while he, in his turn, on the clean, sweet leaves lay down beside the prince And while they slept, and the Carpenter watched, a dragon slid from the trees 'Noho are you?' quoth the Carpenter-lad, 'who co things for twenty miles round this place; and I'll kill you, too,' it roared, 'and crack your bones to eat' So they fought and fought and fought till he killed the dragon at last

Then he hid the body behind a bush lest the others should be afraid, and roused Rasalu from out his sleep to take his share of the watch; while he in turn by the Goldsmith-lad lay down to take his rest

”And while they slept and Rasalu waked a THING slid out from the trees; an awful THING! No man could tell th' unspeakable horror of it But Rasalu shed in, its horrible eyes

'Pray, who are you to disturb our rest, and why do you dare to cos for twenty times twenty miles, and I will kill you, upstart boy, and crack your bones to dust'

”So they fought and fought and fought, and Rasalu drew his bow, and the arrow fled like the wind and pierced the Awful Horror through Then it fled to a cave close by, with Rasalu at its heels So they fought and fought and fought till the dawn showed clear in the sky, and the Awful Horror gave up with a groan and rolled on its side and died Now, just as Rasalu wiped his sword the sleepers awoke from their sleep 'See here!' said the Goldsmith-lad with pride, 'what I killed in my lonely watch' 'Pooh! only a snake!' said the Carpenter-lad; 'see the dragon I have killed' But Rasalu took them both by the hand and led them into the cave; but dead as it was, they shrieked with fear at the Awful Horror they saw And they fell at Rasalu's feet and groaned and o! Oh, hero, we are butto you; it is death to us to follow and be your friends'

”Then tears came into Rasalu's eyes, but he said no word of nay 'Do as you will,' he said to the before they flower, Gracious rain too soon is overpast; Youth and strength are with us but an hour, All glad lifewithout consent of courtier, Rulers h none heed their cohtier, Alone and friendless in a strangers' land'

”So his friends forsook him and fled But Rasalu went on his way”

CHAPTER VIII

DOWN'S STRATAGEM

Now the terrible thing that happened was one which Foster-father s