Part 14 (2/2)
”But e?” persisted Dearest-Lady, her kind eyes on the lad's
Just at that moment, however, Tumbu, who had, of course, accompanied them, burst out with a series of shrill, short barks, and Roy was on his feet in a second, his hand on Old Faithful's sword, lest any newcoer to his little master But as it turned out Tumbu was only excited by a water-rat! All the same the interruption prevented Dearest-Lady's question fro answered, for the spell was broken
”Yea! thou wilt be true to the very uttermost, of that I am sure,” said Dearest-Lady, half pleased, half a as I have charge of the Heir-to-Eo call the litter-aoler as well as grand-aunt”
CHAPTER XVI
CRUEL BROTHER kuaoler, she was a very kind one, and her prison the pleasantest prison in the world It would take too long to tell how happily the next four months passed, not only for the two children, but for Roy and Foster-father, Head-nurse and Foster-mother
Evento cook the Khanzada Khanum's dinner For that was one of Dearest-Lady's virtues, she always ht thing So even Prince ku, bold, frank-faced boy who claiers itched to have, did not feel inclined to interfere with his aunt The truth being that, like the rest of the family, he loved and trusted her beyond measure; perhaps ht hih she knew his faults, though she not only bewailed theet that he had been her nursling, could not forget, above all, that he was her dear brother Babar's son
Thus all went s Prince Akbar, now close on three years old, looked and talked and acted like one of six This sa him into scrapes with people who did not believe he was so young, or, knowing hi!
He played a similar trick to the one he had played on cousin Yakoob at Kandahar on his big cousin Ibrahim, Prince kumran's son It was about a fine kettledruold and silver, that Ibrahi a selfish boy, he would not allow Akbar to touch it; whereupon the Heir-to-Empire, after a brief tussle, carried off the kettledruh the palace!
ku of a kettledru cock of thine in better order, madam,” he said to his aunt, ”or I shall have to find hiaoler”
Whereupon she flashed out and told hi the child, and for that cri the Heir-to-E
That was her way of quelling kuht of murder as impossible, she hoped to make it so; but she was not sure, and after this she kept Mirak and Bija under control
It was noton news arrived fro the city, and, disappointed in not finding his son in the palace, was preparing to march on Kabul
Then the worst side of Prince kumran showed itself at once Like all deceitful people, he was a coward at heart, and cowardice e upon his victorious brother Of what use would even two victories be to him if the Heir-to-E polished manner vanished in an instant, and one day, without any warning, little Mirak, playing in the garden, was kidnapped by two stalwart Abyssinian slaves and carried off, howling horribly and fighting with his fists, to the palace where kumran's wife lived Tuallant show of resistance, and actually bit one of the kidnapper's calves to the bone; but when he found hiiave up the hopeless fight, and flew off to tell Roy what had happened And Roy,his little master, fled to tell Dearest-Lady Her face paled, but she did not hesitate
”My litter! page!” she cried, and drawing her white veil closer round her, she went straight to the audience hall, where kureat nobility, giving her a right, even as a wost theure, every ear thrilled to the tones of her clear voice
”By what right,” she asked, ”has kumran, the nephew I have nurtured, stolen from my care the son of his elder brother, the Heir to that E, into the hands of Huht; and if it be wrong then will God's curse light on the man who undoes his father's work Lo! he is worse than parricide, for he would kill that for which his father gave his life”
Now this appeal was a very strong one; for the story of how Babar the Brave gave up his own life to save that of his darling son, Hu tales in Indian history, and none of Babar's i eust lady,” he replied, evading her question, ”this is aHuraded his brother Askurry, and for this, I, kue him!”
”And wherefore?” asked Dearest-Lady boldly ”Did not Askurry deserve it?
Nay! did he not deserve death? Did he not steal the King-of-E? Did he not send the Heir-to-E? I tell you, nephew kumran, that your father, Babar the Brave, Babar the Kindly, Babar the Generous, Babar the Just, whoiven _death_ for such faults--and given it rightly And will you, like a fool, court death also?” She looked round the assembly to see er lay close at hand
So her resolution was taken in ahas been done yet to iveness impossible Well!
I--Khanzada Khanu Humayon and plead thy cause I will ask what boon you wish, and I proe for his son, and none have ever deniedhesitation she put in a crafty word: ”There will be ti----”