as close on his heels. Foster-mother and Head-nurse were not to be left
out, and somehow they all managed to get down in safety.

And then they all stood and sat silent and agape with surprise and
delight.

For what they saw was this. A low cavern in the rock, and on a shelving
bank of dry sand Baby Akbar sitting up and rubbing his eyes, while on
one side of him was the golliwog of a black dog, his fur all bristling,
his white teeth gleaming as he filled the air with furious barks; while
on the other was the white fluff of a cat, her back arched, her tail the
size of two, spitting and growling fiercely.

How had he got there? Foster-father looked at Foster-mother, Head-nurse
looked at Old Faithful, and Roy looked at Meroo, and they all looked at
each other.

But Baby Akbar only put out one fat hand towards the black dog and said
"Tumbu," and the other fat hand towards the cat and said "Down," and
that was all he would say.

He had tumbled down; but how, when, and where, and how the dog and the
cat came to be with him no one ever knew from that day to this.

CHAPTER V

ON THE ROAD

Naturally when, after an uneventful journey with the shepherd as guide,
they reached Prince Askurry's camp that evening, they came to talk over
the incident. Foster-father was not sparing of Head-nurse. The whole
tissue of misfortunes, which had ended in Baby Akbar so nearly losing
his life--and that he had been spared was simply a miracle--arose from
her insisting on a Royal Procession. But for that, both she and the
child would have gone comfortably on a camel. They would have kept up
with the other baggage animals and none of the distressful events would
have happened. It should not, however, happen again. Of course,
Head-nurse tried to brazen it out and assert that the Heir-to-Empire
could always count on a miracle in his favour; but in her
heart-of-hearts she knew that Foster-father was right.

So next morning she said nothing when she saw a camel with two panniers
kneeling in front of the tent, ready for its load. _That_ had to be
endured, but she revenged herself by objecting to the black dog and the
white cat, who sat expectantly one on either side, evidently prepared
for a start.

"Whose are those uncouth beasts?" she asked of Roy angrily. "Did I not
tell those ghosts of the desert who call themselves shepherds to remove
them last night? Why have they come back? Take them away! Catch them!
Tie them up! Such mean b