TUMBU-DOWN After a while the party started on their way once more feeling greatly brisked up.

But the heat of the day was now upon them, and though the snow lay close beside the path, the fierce sun melting it made the vapour rise and turned the narrow valley into a regular steam bath.
The perspiration ran down the travellers' faces and especially down poor Head-nurse's; for she had insisted on taking off her veil to twist it turbanwise round Baby Akbar's head since the Royal Umbrella was forbidden.

Foster-mother had tried to take off hers also, but Head-nurse had angrily forbidden her to do any such thing.

If she, Head-nurse, died of sunstroke what matter, but if Foster-mother failed, what--even though one back tooth had been gloriously cut--would become of the Heir-to-Empire, the Admired-of-the-World, the Great-in-Pomp, etc.?
So, to comfort herself she went on mumbling titles as she struggled along, the sun beating fiercely on her bare head.

Such a quaint head, with sleek black hair parted and plaited and hung with jewels, even down the long pigtail of brown wool that was added on to the back to make the hair look more plentiful.
It was a piteous sight and Foster-mother was so conscious of the devotion it meant that she said "Lo! Head-nurse, thou art a good, good soul though a hard one to me; but I will never, never, never, forget this day." "Nor I," groaned Head-nurse, "but 'tis for the Heir-to-Empire." It was a full hour before the slope ended in a level bog, on the other side of which began a visible descent.