The prisoners, of course, knew nothing of this letter, but the effect of
it showed in a greater freedom. Foster-father was moved to a more
comfortable dungeon and Bija, Head-nurse and Foster-mother were allowed
to go and see the Heir-to-Empire. Their delight may be imagined, and
even Tumbu shared in the joy, for, when he was refused admittance and
left down below, he dashed up the stairs, evading the sentries and
barked furiously at the door to be let in. And the meeting between him
and Mirak was so pretty that the sentry had not the heart to insist on
poor doggie going down again. And this, in its way, was a good thing,
for it was the beginning of a sort of friendship between the young
Prince and this particular Afghan sentry. Sometimes, after he had been
relieved, he would come up to the little captive's room for a bit, and
listen to Roy's stories, or tell a few in his turn; for he had wandered
about, over half India, giving the use of his sword to any one who would
pay him well for it.
"Lo! I have not heard that tale since I was in Rajputana!" he said one
day after Roy had been singing an old-world legend of fighting days. "It
was an old Brahman of Suryamer told it me of the Sun-Heroes."
Roy's face flushed up in a second. "Suryamer is mine!" he said proudly;
"I am of the Sun-Heroes!"
Then he started to his feet, pale as ashes. "I have remembered! I have
remembered at last," he said almost with a cry.
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