"Is he a prince?" looking up inquiringly at her first European friend.
"Not shahzáda (prince) but gentleman," replied Walter, giving his comrade the title in Pushtoo which would most truthfully describe his position in life.
"Has he an English elephant with silver howdah?" asked Sultána.
"Not that—but gold to buy one," was the hesitating reply.
"Come, houri, pearl of garden," resumed Denis in his most insinuating tone.
"I will not come, you tell lies!" said the child; and with this brief and startling rebuke she quitted the room.
A woeful sight met Sultána, as with light step she descended the ladder. The two men whose quarrel had given her an opportunity of carrying the stolen food to the captives, after for half-an-hour bandying fierce words and blows, had at last taken to their knives—no uncommon way of settling a dispute in the Eagle's Nest. The result was that both were now carried through the gateway into the fort, groaning and bleeding. The sight of wounds was too common to shock the little Afghan on ordinary occasions; but now in the sufferers she recognised Mir Ghazan and Ali Khan. The latter was a favourite with Sultána, as the youth had, in boyhood, often carried his lovely little cousin in his arms, and made a playmate of the beautiful child.
"Oh, Mir Ghazan, you wolf! why did you stab him?" exclaimed Sultána.
"He stole my kid!" cried Mir Ghazan.
"I did not!" was the angry denial; the war which had been carried on with knives, was prolonged in fierce words, mingled with groans.