RAKUSH AND HIS MASTER 145 



surely have crushed him to death had not Rakush 

 come to the rescue. With his teeth the horse 

 seized the reptile from behind, and as it turned 

 to defend itself, Rustem's arm was freed so that 

 he could use his sword. With one mighty stroke 

 he cut off the dragon's head; and the vile pest 

 of the desert was no more. 



Then Rustem praised Rakush for his valor, and 

 washed him in the stream, and fondled him until 

 the break of day ; and the horse forgot the unkind 

 words that had been spoken to him. And when 

 the sun arose they set out on another day's jour- 

 ney across the burning sands. 



But I need not follow them farther on their 

 perilous way, nor relate what befell them in the 

 land of the magicians and in the country of dark- 

 ness, where there was no light of sun or stars, 

 and where they were guided by Rakush's instinct 

 alone. Neither will I tell of their adventures af- 

 ter they had come into Mazinderan, nor how, af- 

 ter meeting innumerable dangers, they delivered 

 the Shah from his dungeon, and rallied his scat- 

 tered army and led it to victory. These things 

 are narrated in the songs of Firdusi, the Persian 

 poet. 



