"I shall have to take the mare tomorrow," said the Tertium Quid, "and she will
stand nothing heavier than a snaffle."
They made their arrangements to meet in the Cemetery, after allowing all the
Mashobra people time to pass into Simla. That night it rained heavily, and
next day, when the Tertium Quid came to the trysting-place, he saw that the
new grave had a foot of water in it, the ground being a tough and sour clay.
"'Jove! That looks beastly," said the Tertium Quid. "Fancy being boarded up
and dropped into that well!"
They then started off to Fagoo, the mare playing with the snaffle and picking
her way as though she were shod with satin, and the sun shining divinely. The
road below Mashobra to Fagoo is officially styled the Himalayan-Thibet Road;
but in spite of its name it is not much more than six feet wide in most
places, and the drop into the valley below must be anything between one and
two thousand feet.
"Now we're going to Thibet," said the Man's Wife merrily, as the horses drew
near to Fagoo. She was riding on the cliff-side.
"Into Thibet," said the Tertium Quid, "ever so far from people who say horrid
things, and hubbies who write stupid letters. With you--to the end of the
world!"
A coolie carrying a log of wood came round a corner, and the mare went wide to
avoid him--forefeet in and haunches out, as a sensible mare should go.
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