RAKUSH AND HIS MASTER I37 



and cared for with the sole thought of their being 

 chosen for the use of Rustem. 



" Do you desire swiftness ? " asked the keeper 

 of the foremost. " Here is a steed that can out- 

 strip the wind." 



" Not swiftness only, but strength," answered 

 Rustem. Then he placed his hand upon the horse 

 to see if it could stand that test; and the animal 

 shuddered beneath his grasp and sank upon its 

 haunches from the strength of the pressure. 

 Thus it fared with all the steeds that were 

 brought forward. 



" Do you want a perfect steed ? " asked the 

 long-bearded sheik from the west. " If so, here 

 are beauty and strength and swiftness and in- 

 telligence, all combined in one." And he led for- 

 ward the largest of his Arabs. 



There was a murmur of admiration from all 

 the lookers-on, for seldom, in that land of beauti- 

 ful horses, had an animal been seen which was 

 in every way so perfect. Rustem said nothing, 

 but quietly subjected the steed to the same test 

 that he had applied to the others. Lastly, the 

 traders from Kabul brought forward a herd of 

 ten which they had carefully selected as the 

 strongest from among all that had been bred in 



