In a half conscious state she caught his words. They came to her like in a dream; it was as though sentence had been passed upon her.
So she was to die? She had thought so herself, but now a messenger of Death was saying so.
Well, she would die. She could keep up no longer. Her father was dead, and her mother was dead, now she was going to die. A cruel thought flitted through her dull brain. She wondered why she could not have died with them rather than in a ditch like a poor animal.
She tried to make a last effort to get to the wood where she could find a spot to lie down for her last sleep, somewhere away from the road. She managed to drag herself into the wood, and there she found a little grassy spot where violets were growing. She laid down under a large tree, her head on her arm, just as she did at night when she went to sleep.
CHAPTER VI
THE RESCUE
SOMETHING warm passing over her face made her open her eyes. Dimly she saw a large velvety head bending over her. In terror she tried to throw herself on one side, but a big tongue licked her cheek and held her to the grass. So quickly had this happened that she had not had time to recognize the big velvety head which belonged to a donkey, but while the great tongue continued to lick her face and hands she was able to look up at it.
Palikare! It was dear, dear Palikare! She threw her arms around her donkey's neck and burst into tears.
"My darling, dear, darling Palikare," she murmured.