deceitful people, he was a coward at heart, and cowardice made him think
of immediate revenge upon his victorious brother. Of what use would even
two victories be to him if the Heir-to-Empire was beyond recall?

So Kumran's charming 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. Tumbu, who was with him at the time, made a gallant show of
resistance, and actually bit one of the kidnapper's calves to the bone;
but when he found himself confronted with a whole regiment of armed men
who ran out to their assistance, he gave up the hopeless fight, and flew
off to tell Roy what had happened. And Roy, missing 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 Kumran was receiving
his nobles; her great age, her great nobility, giving her a right, even
as a woman, to appear amongst them.

All eyes turned to her tall, upright, slim figure, 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
Empire which Babar the Brave gave, dying, into the hands of Humayon, his
eldest son? I say there can be no right; 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, Humayon, is
one of the most touching tales in Indian history, and none of Babar's
immediate family could even think of it without strong emotion. So it
was Kumran's turn to grow pale.

"August lady," he replied, evading her question, "this is a matter of
policy with which women have naught to do. King Humayon hath taken
Kandahar, he hath imprisoned and degraded his brother Askurry, and for
this, I, Kumran, challenge 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-Empire? Did
he not defy the king? Did he not send the Heir-to-Emp