oor Foster-father had to drag out long, miserable days, cut off
even from news of the others. Until one day, just when the sentry was
eating his mid-day meal, he heard a violent barking, and by swinging
himself up by the bars of the tiny shaft of the well he could just get a
glimpse of Tumbu on the steps. Why had he come? Perhaps he had been
sent; if so he would come again at the same time. All that night
Foster-father lay awake, feverishly wondering what Tumbu had meant, and
all the next morning, having no means of telling the time, he waited and
waited anxiously, until, just as he was beginning to give up hope, the
familiar bark echoed down the well, and there was good old Tumbu on the
steps! So he must have been sent by some one; and therefore some one
must be alive and desire him to know the fact.

In truth, both his wife, Foster-mother, and Head-nurse had been racking
their brains how to find out where either the Heir-to-Empire or
Foster-father were imprisoned until little Bija had said, "Tell Tumbu to
seek for them. If you show him Mirak's cap and say, 'Go seek,' he will
go."

And so he did; but it was a long, long time before he found out where
Mirak had hidden himself, for he had gone to the big palace in a litter,
and so had left no trace. Then little Bija came to the rescue once more.

"You say, Foster-mother, that you feel sure that Down must have gone
away to keep Mirak company. Now she _can't_ be prisoned, 'cos cats won't
be caught unless they want to be caught, and she doesn't want to be, _of
course_. So she must be going about, so why don't you tell Tumbu to seek
for Down; then we should find where Mirak was."

"But we haven't got anything of Down's to show him," argued
Foster-mother. And that was a puzzler.

At last Head-nurse said, "I believe all cats have the same smell, else
why do all dogs go after all cats? At any rate, it would be worth
trying."

So they got a fine, large, handsome white cat in the bazaar, and said
to Tumbu, "Go seek!" And then there was the most awful scrimmage that
ever was seen. Tumbu was after the cat in a second, and the cat jumped
for protection on Head-nurse, and Head-nurse howled, while Tumbu
deafened everybody by yowls; for the cat had caught him on the nose!
Peace was not restored till pussy had made her escape back to the bazaar
through the window.

"That was not a success," sighed poor Head-nurse as she put herself
tidy; but after all it was not such a failure,