n wheeled suddenly and stood still, and shot their
swords up into the air the full length of the arm, and called the
battle-call of their tribe. The chief looked on unmoved, save once when
a tall trooper rode near him. He suddenly called this man forth.

"Where hast thou been, brother?" he asked.

"Three days was I beyond the Bar of Balmud, searching for the dog who
robbed my mother; three days did I ride to keep my word with a foe, who
gave me his horse when we were both unarmed and spent, and with broken
weapons could fight no more; and two days did I ride to be by a woman's
side when her great sickness should come upon her. This is all, my lord,
since I went forth, save this jewel which I plucked from the cap of
a gentleman from the Palace. It was toll he paid even at the gates of
Mandakan."

"Didst thou do all that thou didst promise?"

"All, my lord."

"Even to the woman?" The chief's eye burned upon the man.

"A strong male child is come into the world to serve my lord," said
the trooper, and he bowed his head. "The jewel is thine and not mine,
brother," said the chief softly, and the fierceness of his eyes abated;
"but I will take the child."

The trooper drew back among his fellows, and the columns rode towards
the farther end of the plateau. Then all at once the horses plunged into
wild gallop, and the hillsmen came thundering down towards the chief and
Cumner's Son, with swords waving and cutting to right and left, calling
aloud, their teeth showing, death and valour in their eyes. The chief
glanced at Cumner's Son. The horses were not twenty feet from the lad,
but he did not stir a muscle. They were not ten feet from him, and
swords flashed before his eyes, but still he did not stir a hair's
breadth. In response to a cry the horses stopped in full career, not
more than three feet from him. Reaching out he could have stroked the
flaming nostril of the stallion nearest him.

Pango Dooni took from his side a short gold-handled sword and handed it
to him.

"A hundred years ago," said he, "it hung in the belt of the Dakoon of
Mandakan; it will hang as well in thine." Then he added, for he saw a
strange look in the lad's eyes: "The father of my father's father wore
it in the Palace, and it has come from his breed to me, and it shall go
from me to thee, and from thee to thy breed, if thou wilt honour me."

The lad stuck it in his belt with pride, and taking from his pocket a
silver-mounted pistol, said: