Part 18 (1/2)

The news stirred the whole city of Kabul to its depths It had but lately passed into the hands of Huan opportunity

And that caates of the toere closed by the Regent Shurruf Khan in Humayon's name; the next da the Iron Entry, after a brief scuffle, opened in the nah the streets of the town, a h authority And then?

Up at the Bala Hissar, Foster-father roused fro to hear bugles, to find troops gatherings for defence; but the gates of the Fort were open!

Shurruf Khan was traitor! He had gone over to the ene, walked up and down the royal apart over soe!

Foster-father, good old fool, was back in his dungeon in the well, where this tie, alled up in a tiny rooht eat and live, or starve and die as they chose

But the Heir-to-Empire? What of him? Ah! fool that he had been to make that promise to a crafty old woer rose fierce; he would have given anything to break his oath; but he could not He was not strong enough; even his wickedness was not real

But, short of death, the young heir should have no shelter ku hiht no more of him And now, but for faithful Roy, Akbar would indeed have been in sorry plight They had barely enough to eat, but Roy stinted hi but the hard half-burned crusts of the coarse hearth-cakes and excusing hie on the ground that he did not like it So he grew thin and his brown deer-eyes had a startled look Indeed, he hardly slept at all, but watched and dozed beside his little

Yet he was always cheerful Always ready with stories and songs When he could not re tales of people ere always in dangers and difficulties, but who took no notice of the in the Truth

”For! see you!” he would finish gravely,

”He who has Truth Need fear no ruth”

So, ever and always his hero carees, this faith in final good grew deep into both the boys'

hearts, and showed in their very faces

”By han sentry, whouard thes!”

He could adh he did not see yet once ain on kumran's side

How time passed none of the prisoners cared to count But one day the sudden roar of a great gun told theed In truth, Hu, while still on his bed of sickness, the fatal news of Shurruf Khan's treachery, had strained every nerve, ill as he was, to come to the rescue of his little son It was midwinter, the passes were blocked with snow, he and his troops had to meet endless hardshi+ps; but at last they were before Kabul once more

Camped on the Arkaban hill, opposite the Iron Gate, the artillery were brought into position, the first shot fired

It would take too long to follow all the varied incidents of the siege

But one thing was constant Night after night recruits fro Hu tired of kumran, who, unable to satisfy his cruelty on the little Heir-to-Empire, vented it on all and sundry And day by day as the nued dwindled, bit after bit of the town fell into the besiegers' hands, until at last only the Bala Hissar remained But the Bala Hissar is a town in itself, and e successfully

Noever, it was near to the death There could be no ht of escape ku many followers in the attempt

After that his face hardened He went about dreae on Dearest-Lady, who had tied his hands

”_Till I return!_”

No! Dead folks can never return to the worldly Even their memory coht he hit on a plan The fort was alasp