Shasta nodded his head， ran to the northern gate anddisappeared beyond it. Then the Hermit took Aravis， whom he had all this time been supporting with his left arm， andhalf led， half carried her into the house. After a long time he came out again.
“Now， cousins，” he said to the Horses. “It is your turn.”
Without waiting for an answer.and indeed they were too exhausted to speak.he took the bridles and saddles off both of them. Then he rubbed them both down， so well that a groom in a King’s stable could not have done it better.
“There， cousins，” he said， “dismiss it all from your minds and be comforted. Here is water and there is grass. You shall have a hot mash when I have milked my other cousins， the goats.”
“Sir，” said Hwin， finding her voice at last， “will the Tarkheena live？ Has the lion killed her？”
“I who know many present things by my art，” replied the Hermit with a smile， “have yet little knowledge of things future. Therefore I do not know whether any man or woman or beast in the whole world will be alive when the sun sets tonight. But be of good hope. The damsel is likely to live as long as any of her age.”
