A dozen times he was on the point of
turning back, and it was not the terror of the mocking words and
scornful laughs that kept him from doing so, but the terror lest he
should be forced to take part in their wars. Therefore he held on, and
deeply thankful he felt when the walls of a city, larger than he had
ever dreamed of, rose before him.

Drawing himself up to his full height, he rode proudly through the
gate and past the palace, where, as was her custom, the princess was
sitting on the terrace roof, watching the bustle in the street below.

'That is a gallant figure,' thought she, as Samba, mounted on his big
black horse, steered his way skilfully among the crowds; and,
beckoning to a slave, she ordered him to go and meet the stranger, and
ask him who he was and whence he came.

'Oh, princess, he is the son of a king, and heir to a country which
lies near the Great River,' answered the slave, when he had returned
from questioning Samba. And the princess on hearing this news summoned
her father, and told him that if she was not allowed to wed the
stranger she would die unmarried.

Like many other fathers, the king could refuse his daughter nothing,
and besides, she had rejected so many suitors already that he was
quite alarmed lest no man should be good enough for her. Therefore,
after a talk with Samba, who charmed him by his good humour and
pleasant ways, he gave his consent, and three days later the wedding
feast was celebrated with the utmost splendour.

The princess was very proud of her tall handsome husband, and for some
time she was quite content that he should pass the days with her under
the palm trees, telling her the stories that she loved, or amusing her
with tales of the manners and customs of his country, which were so
different to those of her own. But, by-and-by, this was not enough;
she wanted other people to be proud of him too, and one day she said:

'I really almost wish that those Moorish thieves from the north would
come on one of their robbing expeditions. I should love so to see you
ride out at the head of our men, to chase them home again. Ah, how
happy I should be when the city rang with your noble deeds!'

[Illustration: SAMBA FOUND SKULKING BY HIS WIFE]

She looked lovingly at him as she spoke; but, to her surprise, his
face grew dark, and he answered hastily:

'Never speak to me again of the Moors or of war. It was to escape from
them that I fled from my own land, and at th