Oneeveninghecrossedthehighestpasshehadmettillthen——ithadbeenatwo-day’sclimb——andcameoutonalineofsnow-peaksthatbandedallthehorizon——mountainsfromfifteentotwentythousandfeethigh，lookingalmostnearenoughtohitwithastone，thoughtheywerefiftyorsixtymilesaway。Thepasswascrownedwithdense，darkforest——deodar，walnut，wildcherry，wildolive，andwildpear，butmostlydeodar，whichistheHimalayancedar；andundertheshadowofthedeodarsstoodadesertedshrinetoKali——whoisDurga，whoisSitala，whoissometimesworshippedagainstthesmallpox。
PurunDasssweptthestonefloorclean，smiledatthegrinningstatue，madehimselfalittlemudfireplaceatthebackoftheshrine，spreadhisantelopeskinonabedoffreshpine-needles，tuckedhisbairagi——hisbrass-handledcrutch——underhisarmpit，andsatdowntorest。
Immediatelybelowhimthehillsidefellaway，cleanandclearedforfifteenhundredfeet，wherealittlevillageofstone-walledhouses，withroofsofbeatenearth，clungtothesteeptilt。
Allrounditthetinyterracedfieldslayoutlikeapronsofpatchworkonthekneesofthemountain，andcowsnobiggerthanbeetlesgrazedbetweenthesmoothstonecirclesofthethreshing-floors。Lookingacrossthevalley，theeyewasdeceivedbythesizeofthings，andcouldnotatfirstrealisethatwhatseemedtobelowscrub，ontheoppositemountain-
flank，wasintruthaforestofhundred-footpines。PurunBhagatsawaneagleswoopacrossthegigantichollow，butthegreatbirddwindledtoadotereitwashalf-wayover。Afewbandsofscatteredcloudsstrungupanddownthevalley，catchingonashoulderofthehills，orrisingupanddyingoutwhentheywerelevelwiththeheadofthepass。And\"HereshallIfindpeace，\"