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SAMBA THE COWARD |
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of the brave ! Where is he ? Let him show himself! ' And when Samba did show himself the shouts and applause became louder than ever. ' See how modest he is ! He leaves the glory to others !' cried they. And Samba only smiled and waved his hand, and said nothing.
Out of all the mass of people assembled there to do honour to Samba, one alone there was who did not shout and praise with the rest. This was the princess's youngest brother, whose sharp eyes had noted certain things during the fight which recalled his sister much more than they did her husband. Under promise of secrecy, he told his suspicions to the other princes, but only got laughed at, and was bidden to carry his dreams elsewhere.
' Well, well,' answered the boy, ' we shall see who is right; but the next time we give battle to the Moors I will take care to place a private mark on our commander.'
In spite of their defeat, not many days after the Moors sent a fresh body of troops to steal some cattle, and again Samba's wife dressed herself in her husband's armour, and rode out at the head of the avenging column. This time the combat was fiercer than before, and in the thick of it her youngest brother drew near, and gave his sister a slight wound on the leg. At the moment she paid no heed to the pain, which, indeed, she scarcely felt; but when the enemy had been put to flight and the little band returned to the palace, faintness suddenly overtook her, and she could hardly stagger up the staircase to her own apartments.
' I am wounded,' she cried, sinking down on the mats where he had been lying, ' but do not be anxious ; it is really nothing. You have only got to wound yourself slightly in the same spot and no one will guess that it was I and not you who were fighting.'
' What!' cried Samba, his eyes nearly starting from
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