148 THE WONDER-BOOK OF HORSES 



denly. Rustem urged him to go forward, but the 

 horse, for the first time in his long life, refused 

 to obey. Then Rustem, growing impatient, urged 

 him still harder, but he reared upon his hind feet 

 and tried to turn back. This aroused Rustem's 

 anger, and, raising his whip, he struck the faith- 

 ful beast — a thing that until this sad day had 

 never been done. So grieved and terrified was 

 Rakush that he sprang forward and fell into the 

 pit, and both horse and rider were pierced with 

 the sharp spears which projected, points upward, 

 from the bottom. 



As they lay weltering in their blood and dy- 

 ing, the king of Kabul came up, and seeing 

 their plight, pretended to be overcome with 

 grief. 



" O matchless hero," he cried to Rustem, 

 " what mishap is this that has befallen thee? I 

 will run and call my physicians to come to thy 

 aid." 



But Rustem answered : " Thou traitor, this is 

 thy doing. The time for physicians is past, and 

 there is for me no healing save that of death, 

 which comes once to all men ! I pray thee, how- 

 ever, to place beside me my bow and two arrows, 

 and deny not this my last request. For I would 



