Chapter I: Preface

This book is written for all little lads and lasses, but especially for the former, since it is the true--_quite_ true--story of a little lad who lived to be, perhaps, the greatest king this world has ever seen.

It is a strange, wild tale this of the adventures of Prince Akbar among the snowy mountains between Kandahâr and Kâbul, and though the names may be a bit of a puzzle at first, as they will have to be learned by and bye in geography and history lessons, it might be as well to get familiar with them in a story-book; though, indeed, as everybody in it except Roy the Râjput, Meroo the cook boy; Tumbu, the dog; and Down, the cat (and these four _may_ have been true, you know, though they have not been remembered) really lived, I don't know whether this book oughtn't to be considered real history, and therefore

A LESSON BOOK

Anyhow, I hope you won't find it dull.

CONTENTS

PAGE
PREFACE

CHAPTER I FAREWELL 1

CHAPTER II THE FIRST VICTORY 11

CHAPTER III THE ROYAL UMBRELLA 20

CHAPTER IV TUMBU-DOWN 27

CHAPTER V ON THE ROAD 39

CHAPTER VI AT COURT 50

CHAPTER VII WINTER 58

CHAPTER VIII DOWN'S STRATAGEM 68

CHAPTER IX SPRING 77

CHAPTER X THE NIGHT OF RECORD 88

CHAPTER XI A WINTER MARCH 100

CHAPTER XII SNOW AND ICE 109

CHAPTER XIII OVER THE PASS 119

CHAPTER XIV IN THE VALLEY 128

CHAPTER XV DEAREST-LADY 138

CHAPTER XVI CRUEL BROTHER KUMRAN 147

CHAPTER XVII IMPRISONMENT 159

CHAPTER XVIII THE GARDEN OF GAMES 169

CHAPTER XIX BETWIXT CUP AND LIP 178

CHAPTER XX ESCAPED 187

CHAPTER XXI DAWN 196

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

ON A SHELVING BANK OF DRY SAND BABY AKBAR
SITTING UP AND RUBBING HIS EYES _Frontispiece_

_To face page_

PRINCE ASKURRY ... STRODE ... INTO THE TENT 16

THE CHILD HAD SLIPPED IT ONTO HIS LITTLE FOREFINGER 62

SO THEY BOTH TOUCHED THE COLD MARBLE FLOOR WITH THEIR
WARM LITTLE FOREHEADS 98

AHEAD OF THEM, A SHADOW SHOWED, A SHAMBLING SHADOW!
TUMBU ... WITH A BOUND WAS OFF FULL TILT AFTER IT 126

AND ONE DAY THE DOOR DID OPEN.... "MY SON--MY LITTLE SON!" 166

"LADIES! UNVEIL!" 176

"I STAY MY HAND WHILE I COUNT TEN--NO MORE" 198