Many, many years before, the king said, one of their beautiful maidens had disappeared, leaving word that she would surely come back, or else send some one in her place, who was as beautiful as her, in some future generation.
This had been recorded by the forefathers of the Naztecs, and, consequently, they were always on the lookout for the girl to turn up.
When they saw Azurma they took it for granted that she was the one sent in place of the lost maiden of ages before.
With this brief explanation we will proceed.
Azurma was cute enough to allow the Naztecs to believe that she was really the one they took her to be.
By so doing she came in possession of a power which she would not otherwise have had.
She had no difficulty in persuading the king to set Lacy and his dog free, and give them the privilege of going anywhere about the city.
She told his royal highness where she had come from, and he at once set forth his desire to visit Hez, if possible.
Whereupon Azurma set her people down as a bloodthirsty race, and offered to lead the Naztecs upon them at some future day, and exterminate them.
This seemed to satisfy the king, and he gave orders that hereafter Azurma should be treated as a princess.