ful stood petrified with
despair. Meroo would have dashed forward to catch at the rein but Roy,
knowing with that curious instinct of his, that that would only make
matters worse, as it would still further frighten the mare, held him
back by main force. The only person who was not spellbound with fear was
Baby Akbar. He thought it a fine joke that his mount should stand up on
its hind legs and paw the air. So he shrieked with delight, and dropped
the reins to clap his hands, as he always did when he was pleased. Now
this was the very best thing he, or anybody else, could have done. The
mare, feeling herself free, thought better of it, and wheeling round
dropped her fore feet on the path once more.
Foster-father's loud Arabic thanksgiving ended in an equally loud order.
"Get off the mare, woman. Horse-chestnut is the only mount thou art fit
for. Roy! carry that foolish umbrella behind."
"In front--the emblems are ever carried in front," protested Head-nurse
feebly.
"I said behind," was all the answer she got, and behind it went while
they toiled up and up.
After a while the road became surprisingly bad; nothing in fact but a
watercourse, and Foster-father began to doubt if they could be on the
right way. Possibly, when they were all excited over the mare's bad
behaviour, they had taken a wrong turning. But as the path led ever
upwards, he judged it better to go on, though it was terribly hard work.
Every moment the road became worse and worse until it ceased to be more
than a mere ladder of rocks which puzzled even Horse-chestnut. More than
once he stopped dead and would no doubt have refused any further attempt
to climb had there been anything at which to graze. But there was
nothing; nothing but rocks. So, after a pause he made the best of a bad
bargain, raised himself on his hind legs, sought a foothold for his fore
feet in some crevice, and then scrambled up. Only the two children
enjoyed themselves, Baby Akbar laughing with delight and clapping his
hands over all the slips and slitherings which even nimble
Horse-chestnut made, and which reduced Head-nurse and Wet-nurse to
piteous wails to Roy not for Heaven's sake to let go of the
Heir-to-Empire's baggy trousers. And Adam enjoyed himself, also, running
on in front and making snowballs in the drifts which, ere long, were to
be seen sheltering from the sun in the clefts of the rocks.
The sight of them made Foster-father frown. "We go too high," he said.
"He
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