Eight men made its retinue, and two of the eight were armed with rusty sabres--sure signs that they followed a person of distinction, for the common folk do not bear arms.

An increasing cackle of complaints, orders, and jests, and what to a European would have been bad language, came from behind the curtains.
Here was evidently a woman used to command.
Kim looked over the retinue critically.

Half of them were thin-legged, grey-bearded Ooryas from down country.

The other half were duffle-clad, felt-hatted hillmen of the North; and that mixture told its own tale, even if he had not overheard the incessant sparring between the two divisions.

The old lady was going south on a visit--probably to a rich relative, most probably to a son-in-law, who had sent up an escort as a mark of respect.