And Adam enjoyed himself, also, running
on in front and making snowballs in the drifts which, ere long, were to
be seen sheltering from the sun in the clefts of the rocks.
The sight of them made Foster-father frown. "We go too high," he said.
"Heaven send we have not to climb to a higher pass."
His remark made Head-nurse give way altogether. She wept loudly, saying
in that case she had better stay and die where she was, thus saving them
the trouble of carrying her down the hill.
At that very moment, however, Adam who had run far ahead began waving
his arms and shouting:
"He says 'The top! the top!'" cried Roy, who was keen in hearing as in
everything else. "Courage, mother! our troubles are over!"
They had not _quite_ ended, but in a few minutes more they had reached
the beginning of the pass proper. Before them lay a grassy boggy slope
curling gently upwards between higher rockier slopes. A little stream
plashed softly adown it, through a perfect wilderness of flowers, and
without one word the tired travellers threw themselves beside it for
rest and refreshment.
But Baby Akbar looked a little troubled.
"Amma, Dadda 'way 'way in a 'ky," he said solemnly, and essayed to crawl
on over the grass. For he could not walk yet, though he spoke so well.
They say he began to talk when he was nine months old.
CHAPTER IV
TUMBU-DOWN
After a while the party started on their way once more feeling greatly
brisked up.
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