And if the young child escaped the danger of extreme cold and extreme hardship, what might not be before him in Kabul itself?
Better, it might have been, for those in charge of him, to have risked all, taken refuge with the old mountain chief, and died like brave men.
There was but one comfort in the whole affair.

Prince Askurry must know that Humayon or his friends were close at hand, or he would not be in such a desperate hurry to send away the Heir-to-Empire.
And this, indeed, was the truth.

The fear of a rescue was so real and immediate that Prince Askurry had had to make his decision in a minute.
So there was scarcely any time for preparation, and by noon the party had started for the three hundred and odd miles of mountainous country that lay between them and Kabul.

Only the children's faces were cheerful; even Roy's showed grave and anxious.
They rode fast and far till dusk fell, when they had covered full twenty miles.

For the last few, both the women, who were mounted behind troopers, had almost been dropping with fatigue, but the captain of the escort was under orders to go as far as possible that night, so he pushed on to reach a place called Robat.