RAKUSH AND HIS MASTER I47 



retinue of his noblest men, arrived in due time 

 at the king's summer home. The king had pre- 

 pared a royal welcome for him, and for several 

 days they feasted together and made merry in 

 the palace. Then a great hunt in the forest was 

 proposed, and to this Rustem gladly consented, 

 because, next to feats of courage in battle, he 

 loved the excitement of the chase. 



It was known that there were many wild ani- 

 mals in the mountain valleys, and the company 

 set out from the palace with high expectations — 

 for but few of the guests suspected the dark de- 

 signs of the king. All went well until the after- 

 noon, and much game of all kinds was taken. At 

 length a deer was started from its covert, and all 

 the party gave chase. But Rustem, through the 

 king's designing, followed a different pathway 

 from that taken by the others — a pathway across 

 which deep pits had been dug and then carefully 

 concealed with leaves and sod. Huntsmen had 

 been stationed here and there to direct Rustem 

 into the snare, and he rode fearlessly onward, 

 looking for nothing except traces of the fleeing 

 deer. 



When they came to the first pit, Rakush 

 smelled the newly turned soil and stopped sud- 



