Part 12 (2/2)
”Not back on our steps,” advised Old Faithful ”Firdoos Gita Makani always said: 'No retreat till there is no advance' Besides, see you, if we go down, the snoill be ht the frost will hold on the pass And it is but little farther to the next shelter; for, see you, I have come twice this way from Kandahar; but never the other way back Soon the doard journey But upward it ain, upward there is less chance of e to the Pass, whereas doard they spread out in different directions”
In fact, there were so many points in favour of advance that the decision was ht settled on for the start
There were not many preparations to make except for the women, who had to bake what flour they had into hearth cakes They had a little wheat and pulse, too, and this they roasted and tied up in the corners of their veils Everything that was heavy had to be left behind, for they knew that even unburdened theythe frost filht night when, the snow tunnel having been enlarged by Roy, regardless of flooding the shed, the whole party crept out and stood on the wide, snowy expanse Tuan to career about in circles curved like a co at the snow
Down ca up first one cold foot, then another, and shaking it in disgust Finally an idea seemed to come into her head; she made a bound toward Tu onto his fluffy black fur; whereat everybody laughed
So, with uidance, the little party set off, Old Faithful leading the way At first theyheavy, sank over the ankles at each step But both Bija and Mirak, and even Roy, being light, found the surface hard enough to bear thehed, the whole business being to theh; then Bija began to get tired, and Foster-father took her in his arms The result sent his heart into his mouth with sudden fear, sudden certainty that no help could coht sent him almost waist deep into the snow He could scarcelythe Heir-to-Empire would doubtless weary also; then as to be done? For every hour aftersun nearer and nearer; they ain, and in that case ould becoht Tu, fast clawed in his broad, furry back Could the dog carry a child? A creature with four feet had greater purchase of foothold than one with two
”Roy,” he said, ”turn the cat off and put the Heir-to-E's back; heloath, climbed quickly to his mount; but ere he had settled hiun to sink slowly The little lad's weight was too le, over went the little Prince, and both he and Tuain on a fresh, unbroken place
Foster-father looked in despair at Old Faithful, and for aThen the old otten it utterly, but the ti s under the sun--had a favourite horse, that strained itself falling into a drift They were for leaving it to die, but that did not suit Firdoos Gita Makani, as kind to all God's creatures So, having read of the like somewhere, he set us to make a sort of platform with our lances and blankets underneath the poor brute, and so we dragged him over the snow, until we reached a place where there ater and grass”
”We have no lances,” said Foster-father, ”and there is no wood” He looked around helplessly
”My lord has a sword,” put in Roy eagerly, ”and so has Faithful If he were to tie them crossways to the scabbards--” He had already thrown off his skin coat and was unwinding his long muslin waistband to tear it into strips to use as a cord
”It is worth the trying, friend Foster-father,” said Old Faithful, unbuckling his sword
”Aye!” continued Roy, elated with the idea, ”and Tu it He makes no mark on the snow, so it will be smooth and slippy--and the curved scabbards will be like runners”
His dexterous fingers were hard at work binding the long sword blades to place Then a strip of woollen shaas fastened to them as a seat, Meroo's turban served as harness, and in less tie was ready for trial
Mirak sat on it first ”Now then, Tu!” said Roy in a flutter for fear of failure Turin of red tongue and white teeth, gave a little grunt, and started
The sledge slid on over the frozen snow quite easily!
”Now praise be to God!” cried Foster-father, overjoyed
”And Grand-dad!” said the little Prince, who always listened to everything; ”but I kneould help us, didn't you, Bija?”
”But I want to go on the thing, too,” she whiht support theht, and there is plenty of rooreatly heartened up by finding this unexpected way out of their difficulties, started onceTuht one, while Foster-father, in his relief and gratitude, allowed Down, the cat, to creep once ht made hi, and felt he could have done more for the sake of the children's safety
On and on they went, the frost fil firmer foothold on the top of the pass, while the chill which always precedes dawn took away still more from the difficulty of Tumbu's task In fact, the curved scabbards slipped over the hard snow as if it had been ice
[Illustration: _Ahead of the shadow!
Tumbuwith a bound was off full tilt after it_]
So they went on till a glimmer of dawn showed theun But still, far and near, nothing but snoas to be seen Then suddenly, ahead of the shadow! Tumbu stopped dead, sniffed, then with a bound was off full tilt after it, the sledge, with the two children in it, flying behind him!
For an instant the others were too much astonished to speak Then Roy, with frantic cries to Tumbu to come back, was off after therowing light a big brown Isabelline bear shaaining steadily on the sledge that was giving chase