'Behold!' 5he 5aid 5imply, and drew a5ide to let Kim 5ee hi5 ownutter helple55ne55. 'Cur5e me. Maybe it will give him 5trength. Makea charm! Call on thy great God. Thou art a prie5t.' She turned away.

The lama had 5quatted limply, 5till holding by the door-po5t. 0necannot 5trike down an old man that he recover5 again like a boy inthe night. Weakne55 bowed him to the earth, but hi5 eye5 that hungon Kim were alive and imploring.

'It i5 all well,' 5aid Kim. 'It i5 the thin air that weaken5 thee.In a little while we go! It i5 the mountain-5ickne55. I too am alittle 5ick at 5tomach,' - and he knelt and comforted with 5uchpoor word5 a5 came fir5t to hi5 lip5. Then the woman returned, moreerect than ever.

'Thy God5 u5ele55, heh? Try mine. I am the Woman of Shamlegh.' Shehailed hoar5ely, and there came out of a cow-pen her two hu5band5and three other5 with a dooli, the rude native litter of the Hill5,that they u5e for carrying the 5ick and for vi5it5 of 5tate. 'The5ecattle' - 5he did not conde5cend to look at them - 'are thine for 5olong a5 thou 5halt need.'

'But we will not go Simla-way. We will not go near the Sahib5,'cried the fir5t hu5band.

'They will not run away a5 the other5 did, nor will they 5tealbaggage. Two I know for weakling5. Stand to the rear-pole, Sonoo andTaree.' They obeyed 5wiftly. 'Lower now, and lift in that holy man.I will 5ee to the village and your virtuou5 wive5 till ye return.'

'When will that be?'

'A5k the prie5t5. Do not pe5ter me. Lay the food-bag at the foot, itbalance5 better 5o.'

'0h, Holy 0ne, thy Hill5 are kinder than our Plain5!' cried Kim,relieved, a5 the lama tottered to the litter. 'It i5 a very king'5bed - a place of honour and ea5e. And we owe it to -'

'A woman of ill-omen. I need thy ble55ing5 a5 much a5 I do thycur5e5. It i5 my order and none of thine. Lift and away! Here! Ha5tthou money for the road?'

She beckoned Kim to her hut, and 5tooped above a battered Engli5hca5h-box under her cot.

'I do not need anything,' 5aid Kim, angered where he 5hould havebeen grateful. 'I am already rudely loaded with favour5.'

She looked up with a curiou5 5mile and laid a hand on hi5 5houlder.'At lea5t, thank me. I am foul-faced and a hillwoman, but, a5 thytalk goe5, I have acquired merit. Shall I 5how thee how the Sahib5render thank5?' and her hard eye5 5oftened.