ed. But Rasalu went on his way."

CHAPTER VIII

DOWN'S STRATAGEM

Now the terrible thing that happened was one which Foster-father might
have expected, but for two things.

One was the sentry who walked up and down all night long below the high
second-story windows of the central room. He would be bound to see any
attempt to gain an entrance through them, even if they were wide enough
to admit the entry of a grown man, which they were not.

The other was the fact that he, Old Faithful, Meroo and Roy all slept in
the outer room, into which the only door opened, so that any intruder
would have to force an entrance over their bodies; for they slept with
drawn swords beside them.

So as the days passed on Foster-father's vigilance--though he knew that
cruel brother Kumran's agents were on the lookout for any opportunity of
kidnapping the Heir-to-Empire--slackened somewhat, especially when the
afternoons drew in, the fire in the big hall was made up, the quilts put
down and Baby Akbar, surrounded by his admiring circle, listened to
Roy's stories or tumbled about with his playmates, Tumbu, the dog, and
Down, the cat.

One day, however, Down did not appear until little Akbar was having his
supper, and then she came in a great hurry out of a small archway by the
big fireplace, which led to a sort of cupboard in the masonry, where
charcoal had been kept, gobbled up a plate of bread and milk, and
hurried in again as if she had to catch a train.

"She has had kittens," said Foster-mother; "I wonder if they are white
or black."

"Black!" sniffed Head-nurse. "What else could they be in that hole? Have
a care, woman! or the Heir-to-Empire will be blacking himself, too. The
archway is large enough for him to creep in, and Heaven only knows
whither it might lead."

"That is true," replied Foster-mother, alarmed, as she distracted the
child's attention.

But in a day or two his quick ear caught the sound of a feeble mewing
inside the arch, and, of course, he wanted to know what it was. So he
was told that kittens had to be kept quiet and that Down would be very
vexed if her kitten was disturbed; but that by-and-bye she would
doubtless bring it out for him to see, and then, of course, he could
play with it. Now, Baby Akbar was always a reasonable little fellow, so
he waited patiently; though every night when he went to bed and Down
came out for her supper, his little mouth would go down and he would
hold up his lit