Think not. Their prophecy was
that Harmac move to Mur, but when they see his head jump into sky and
stop there, they run every man toward the sunrise, and I think go on
running."

"But Harmac has come to Mur, Roderick," I said; "at least his head has
fallen on to the cliff that overlooks the city."

"Oh! my father," he answered, "then that make great difference. When
Fung find out that head of Harmac has come here, no doubt they come
after him, for head his most holy bit, especially as they want hang all
the Abati whom they not like."

"Well, let's hope that they don't find out anything about it," I
replied, to change the subject. Then taking Roderick by the hand I led
him to where Maqueda stood a yard or two apart, listening to our talk,
but, of course, understanding very little of it, and introduced him to
her, explaining in a few words the wonderful thing that had happened.
She welcomed him very kindly, and congratulated me upon my son's escape.
Meanwhile, Roderick had been staring at her with evident admiration. Now
he turned to us and said in his quaint broken English:

"Walda Nagasta most lovely woman! No wonder King Solomon love her
mother. If Barung's daughter, my wife, had been like her, think I run
through great river into rising sun with Fung."

Oliver instantly translated this remark, which made us all laugh,
including Maqueda herself, and very grateful we were to find the
opportunity for a little innocent merriment upon that tragic night.

By this time the regiment was ready to start, and had formed up into
companies. Before the march actually began, however, the officer of the
Abati patrol, in whose charge Roderick had been brought to us,
demanded his surrender that he might deliver his prisoner to the
Commander-in-Chief, Prince Joshua. Of course, this was refused, whereon
the man asked roughly:

"By whose order?"

As it happened, Maqueda, of whose presence he was not aware, heard him,
and acting on some impulse, came forward, and unveiled.

"By mine," she said. "Know that the Child of Kings rules the Abati, not
the Prince Joshua, and that prisoners taken by her soldiers are hers,
not his. Be gone back to your post!"

The captain stared, saluted, and went with his companions, not to the
pass, indeed, as he had been ordered, but to Joshua. To him he reported
the arrival of the Gentile's son, and the news he brought that the
nation of the Fung, dismayed by the destruction of their god, were in
f