"Salute, slave, salute," he said with a tremendous dignity. And there
was something so comical about the little mite of a child, something so
masterful in the tiny figure, something so commanding in the loud,
deep-toned baby voice, that every one laughed, and somehow or other Adam
forgot his obstinacy and made his obeisance like a good boy.
And then once more pretty Queen Humeeda hugged and kissed her little
son, and all the rest applauded him, and made so much of him that he
began to think he had done something very fine indeed, and crowed and
clapped his hands in delight.
But the merriment did not last long, for there was a clatter of horses
and swords outside the tent.
"My husband!" cried Queen Humeeda in a flutter. "What news does my lord
bring?"
CHAPTER II
THE FIRST VICTORY
The next moment a tall, handsome man entered the tent; but one look at
his pale, anxious face was enough to tell those inside that the news was
bad. So for an instant there was silence; and in the silence, with a
deafening roar and a blinding blaze of blue light, came a terrific crash
of thunder followed by a sudden fierce pelt of hail upon the taut tent
roof.
It sent a shiver through the listeners. They felt that the storm had
broken indeed upon their heads, that danger was close beside them.
Then the King stepped to his wife's side and took her hand, and as he
spoke there was a sob in his breath as of an animal who after a long
chase finds himself at last driven to bay.
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