ndrous Past
towards a Future that you cannot _guess?_"

"But both of which interest you," I suggested.

"Perhaps," he answered, then added, "I come to tell you that within an
hour you are to start for the city, whither the Khania has but now gone
on to make ready for you."

"Yes; only you told me that she had gone some days ago. Well, I am sound
again and prepared to march, but say, how is my foster-son?"

"He mends, he mends. But you shall see him for yourself. It is the
Khania's will. Here come the slaves bearing your robes, and with them I
leave you."

So with their assistance I dressed myself, first in good, clean
under-linen, then in wide woollen trousers and vest, and lastly in a
fur-lined camel-hair robe dyed black that was very comfortable to wear,
and in appearance not unlike a long overcoat. A flat cap of the same
material and a pair of boots made of untanned hide completed my attire.

Scarcely was I ready when the yellow-faced servants, with many bows,
took me by the hand and led me down the passages and stairs of the
Gate-house to its door. Here, to my great joy, I found Leo, looking
pale and troubled, but otherwise as well as I could expect after his
sickness. He was attired like myself, save that his garments were of a
finer quality, and the overcoat was white, with a hood to it, added, I
suppose, to protect the wound in his head from cold and the sun. This
white dress I thought became him very well, also about it there was
nothing grotesque or even remarkable. He sprang to me and seized my
hand, asking how I fared and where I had been hidden away, a greeting
of which, as I could see, the warmth was not lost upon Simbri, who stood
by.

I answered, well enough now that we were together again, and for the
rest I would tell him later.

Then they brought us palanquins, carried, each of them, by two ponies,
one of which was harnessed ahead and the other behind between long
shaft-like poles. In these we seated ourselves, and at a sign from
Simbri slaves took the leading ponies by the bridle and we started,
leaving behind us that grim old Gate-house through which we were the
first strangers to pass for many a generation.

For a mile or more our road ran down a winding, rocky gorge, till
suddenly it took a turn, and the country of Kaloon lay stretched before
us. At our feet was a river, probably the same with which we had made
acquaintance in the gulf, where, fed by the mountain snows, it had its
sourc