“Very good, my lord,” said he, and took his leave, and went down from the palace, and had the Bhoja brought, and carefully clad in mail. And himself put on all his armour, girt on his sword, mounted the horse, issued from the city, charged like lightning against the first entrenchment, broke through it, took one king alive, galloped back, and delivered him over to the city guard. Then he started again, broke through the second, then the third, and so took five kings alive; and had broken through the sixth, and had just taken the sixth king prisoner, when the Bhoja thoroughbred received a wound, and blood gushed forth, and he began to be in severe pain. When the horseman saw the Bhoja was wounded, he made him lie down at the king’s gate, loosened his mail, and began to harness another horse. Whilst the Bodisat lay there as best he could, he opened his eyes, and saw the knight, and said to himself, “He is harnessing another horse. That horse won’t be able to break through the seventh line, or take the seventh king. What I have already done will be lost. The knight, too, who has no equal, will be killed; and the king, too, will fall into the enemy’s power. No other horse, save I alone, can break through that remaining line and take the seventh king.” And lying there as he was, he sent for the knight, and said-- “O friend! O knight! no other horse, save I alone, will be able to break through the remaining line and take that last king. And I will not myself destroy the deeds I have already done. Have me helped up, and put the armour on to _me_.” And so saying, he uttered this stanza: “Though fallen on his side, And wounded sore with darts, The Bhoja’s better than a hack! So harness _me_, O charioteer!” Then the knight helped the Bodisat up, bound up his wound, put on all his harness, seated himself on his back, broke through the seventh line, took the seventh king alive, and delivered him over to the king’s guard. They led the Bodisat, too, to the king’s gate, and the king went out to see him. Then the Great Being said to the king-- “O Great King! slay not those seven kings. Take an oath from them, and let them go. Let the honour due to me and to the knight be all given to him alone. It is not right to let a warrior come to ruin when he has taken seven kings prisoners and delivered them over to you. And do you give gifts, and keep the commandments, and rule your kingdom in righteousness and equity!” And when the Bodisat had thus exhorted the king, they took off his harness. And as they were taking it off, piece by piece, he breathed his last. Then the king had a funeral performed for him, and gave the knight great honour, and took an oath from the seven kings that they would not rebel against him, and sent them away each to his own place. And he ruled his kingdom in righteousness and equity, and so at the end of his life passed away according to his deeds. * * * * *