"she is but a
featherweight, and there is plenty of room."

Ere five minutes were over the little party, greatly heartened up by
finding this unexpected way out of their difficulties, started once
more, Roy encouraging Tumbu, who, in truth, seemed to feel his task
quite a light one, while Foster-father, in his relief and gratitude,
allowed Down, the cat, to creep once more inside his fur coat. Her
weight made him sink a little farther into the snow, but he was strong,
and felt he could have done more for the sake of the children's safety.

On and on they went, the frost film giving 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 them, a shadow showed, a shambling shadow!
Tumbu ... with a bound was off full tilt after it._]

So they went on till a glimmer of dawn showed them that the summit had
been reached, the downward slope begun. But still, far and near, nothing
but snow was to be seen. Then suddenly, ahead of them, a shadow showed,
a shambling 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 them. In vain!
As he crested a little rise he saw by the growing light a big brown
Isabelline bear shambling along contentedly, seeming to go no pace at
all, yet gaining steadily on the sledge that was giving chase.

"I will follow as fast as I can!" panted the Rajput lad breathlessly, as
Foster-father, Meroo, and Old Faithful, hampered by their greater
weight, ran up. "It is a bear; but they cannot catch it--and Tumbu will
tire--then he always comes back. Follow you on my tracks with the
women."

With that he was off like an arrow from a bow behind the bear, Tumbu,
the sledge, the Heir-to-Empire and the Princess Bakshee Bani Begum, who
by this time had all disappeared behind the hilly horizon.

CHAPTER XIV

IN THE VALLEY

Roy ran and ran and ran until he was breathless; yet still he ran, until
little by little he recovered his breath again as wild animals do. Every
moment he hoped to see Tumbu either returning or standing still, panting
and waiting for the others to come up. But he saw nothing s