第7章

Towardsmid-daythethreepursuerscameabruptlyroundabendinthetorrentbeduponthesightofaverybroadandspaciousvalley。

Thedifficultandwindingtrenchofpebblesalongwhichtheyhadtrackedthefugitivesforsolong，expandedtoabroadslope，andwithacommonimpulsethethreemenleftthetrail，androdetoalittleeminencesetwitholive-duntrees，andtherehalted，thetwoothers，asbecamethem，alittlebehindthemanwiththesilver-studdedbridle。

Foraspacetheyscannedthegreatexpansebelowthemwitheagereyes。

Itspreadremoterandremoter，withonlyafewclustersofserethornbusheshereandthere，andthedimsuggestionsofsomenowwaterlessravine，tobreakitsdesolationofyellowgrass。Itspurpledistancesmeltedatlastintothebluishslopesofthefurtherhills——

hillsitmightbeofagreenerkind——andabovetheminvisiblysupported，andseemingindeedtohangintheblue，werethesnowcladsummitsofmountainsthatgrewlargerandboldertothenorth-westwardasthesidesofthevalleydrewtogether。Andwestwardthevalleyopeneduntiladistantdarknessundertheskytoldwheretheforestsbegan。Butthethreemenlookedneithereastnorwest，butonlysteadfastlyacrossthevalley。

Thegauntmanwiththescarredlipwasthefirsttospeak。“Nowhere，“

hesaid，withasighofdisappointmentinhisvoice。“Butafterall，theyhadafullday’sstart。“

“Theydon’tknowweareafterthem，“saidthelittlemanonthewhitehorse。

“SHEwouldknow，“saidtheleaderbitterly，asifspeakingtohimself。

“Eventhentheycan’tgofast。They’vegotnobeastbutthemule，andallto-daythegirl’sfoothasbeenbleeding——“

Themanwiththesilverbridleflashedaquickintensityofrageonhim。“DoyouthinkIhaven’tseenthat？“hesnarled。

“Ithelps，anyhow，“whisperedthelittlemantohimself。

Thegauntmanwiththescarredlipstaredimpassively。“Theycan’tbeoverthevalley，“hesaid。“Ifweridehard——“

Heglancedatthewhitehorseandpaused。

“Curseallwhitehorses！“saidthemanwiththesilverbridle，andturnedtoscanthebeasthiscurseincluded。

Thelittlemanlookeddownbetweenthemclancholyearsofhissteed。

“Ididmybest，“hesaid。

Thetwoothersstaredagainacrossthevalleyforaspace。Thegauntmanpassedthebackofhishandacrossthescarredlip。

“Comeup！“saidthemanwhoownedthesilverbridle，suddenly。

Thelittlemanstartedandjerkedhisrein，andthehorsehoofsofthethreemadeamultitudinousfaintpatteringuponthewitheredgrassastheyturnedbacktowardsthetrail……

Theyrodecautiouslydownthelongslopebeforethem，andsocamethroughawasteofprickly，twistedbushesandstrangedryshapesofhornybranchesthatgrewamongsttherocks，intothelevelsbelow。

Andtherethetrailgrewfaint，forthesoilwasscanty，andtheonlyherbagewasthisscorcheddeadstrawthatlayupontheground。

Still，byhardscanning，byleaningbesidethehorses’necksandpausingeverandagain，eventhesewhitemencouldcontrivetofollowaftertheirprey。

Thereweretroddenplaces，bentandbrokenbladesofthecoarsegrass，andeverandagainthesufficientintimationofafootmark。

Andoncetheleadersawabrownsmearofbloodwherethehalf-castegirlmayhavetrod。Andatthatunderhisbreathhecursedherforafool。

Thegauntmancheckedhisleader’stracking，andthelittlemanonthewhitehorserodebehind，amanlostinadream。Theyrodeoneafteranother，themanwiththesilverbridleledtheway，andtheyspokeneveraword。Afteratimeitcametothelittlemanonthewhitehorsethattheworldwasverystill。Hestartedoutofhisdream。Besidesthelittlenoisesoftheirhorsesandequipment，thewholegreatvalleykeptthebroodingquietofapaintedscene。

Beforehimwenthismasterandhisfellow，eachintentlyleaningforwardtotheleft，eachimpassivelymovingwiththepacesofhishorse；theirshadowswentbeforethem——still，noiseless，taperingattendants；andneareracrouchedcoolshapewashisown。Helookedabouthim。Whatwasithadgone？Thenherememberedthereverberationfromthebanksofthegorgeandtheperpetualaccompanimentofshifting，jostlingpebbles。And，moreover——？Therewasnobreeze。

Thatwasit！Whatavast，stillplaceitwas，amonotonousafternoonslumber。Andtheskyopenandblank，exceptforasombreveilofhazethathadgatheredintheuppervalley。

Hestraightenedhisback，frettedwithhisbridle，puckeredhislipstowhistle，andsimplysighed。Heturnedinhissaddleforatime，andstaredatthethroatofthemountaingorgeoutofwhichtheyhadcome。Blank！Blankslopesoneitherside，withneverasignofadecentbeastortree——muchlessaman。Whatalanditwas！

Whatawilderness！Hedroppedagainintohisformerpose。

Itfilledhimwithamomentarypleasuretoseeawrystickofpurpleblackflashoutintotheformofasnake，andvanishamidstthebrown。

Afterall，theinfernalvalleyWASalive。Andthen，torejoicehimstillmore，camealittlebreathacrosshisface，awhisperthatcameandwent，thefaintestinclinationofastiffblack-antleredbushuponalittlecrest，thefirstintimationsofapossiblebreeze。

Idlyhewettedhisfinger，andhelditup。

Hepulledupsharplytoavoidacollisionwiththegauntman，whohadstoppedatfaultuponthetrail。Justatthatguiltymomenthecaughthismaster’seyelookingtowardshim。

Foratimeheforcedaninterestinthetracking。Then，astheyrodeonagain，hestudiedhismaster’sshadowandhatandshoulder，appearinganddisappearingbehindthegauntman’snearercontours。

Theyhadriddenfourdaysoutoftheverylimitsoftheworldintothisdesolateplace，shortofwater，withnothingbutastripofdriedmeatundertheirsaddles，overrocksandmountains，wheresurelynonebutthesefugitiveshadeverbeenbefore——forTHAT！

Andallthiswasforagirl，amerewilfulchild！Andthemanhadwholecityfulsofpeopletodohisbasestbidding——girls，women！

WhyinthenameofpassionatefollyTHISoneinparticular？askedthelittleman，andscowledattheworld，andlickedhisparchedlipswithablackenedtongue。Itwasthewayofthemaster，andthatwasallheknew。Justbecauseshesoughttoevadehim……

Hiseyecaughtawholerowofhighplumedcanesbendinginunison，andthenthetailsofsilkthathungbeforehisneckflappedandfell。

Thebreezewasgrowingstronger。Somehowittookthestiffstillnessoutofthings——andthatwaswell。

“Hullo！“saidthegauntman。

Allthreestoppedabruptly。

“What？“askedthemaster。“What？“

“Overthere，“saidthegauntman，pointingupthevalley。

“What？“

“Somethingcomingtowardsus。“

Andashespokeayellowanimalcrestedariseandcamebearingdownuponthem。Itwasabigwilddog，comingbeforethewind，tongueout，atasteadypace，andrunningwithsuchanintensityofpurposethathedidnotseemtoseethehorsemenheapproached。

Heranwithhisnoseup，following，itwasplain，neitherscentnorquarry。Ashedrewnearerthelittlemanfeltforhissword。

“He’smad，“saidthegauntrider。

“Shout！“saidthelittleman，andshouted。

Thedogcameon。Thenwhenthelittleman’sbladewasalreadyout，itswervedasideandwentpantingbythemandpast。Theeyesofthelittlemanfolloweditsflight。“Therewasnofoam，“hesaid。

Foraspacethemanwiththesilver-studdedbridlestaredupthevalley。“Oh，comeon！“hecriedatlast。“Whatdoesitmatter？“

andjerkedhishorseintomovementagain。

Thelittlemanlefttheinsolublemysteryofadogthatfledfromnothingbutthewind，andlapsedintoprofoundmusingsonhumancharacter。“Comeon！“hewhisperedtohimself。“Whyshoulditbegiventoonemantosay’Comeon！’withthatstupendousviolenceofeffect。Always，allhislife，themanwiththesilverbridlehasbeensayingthat。If_I_saidit——！“thoughtthelittleman。

Butpeoplemarvelledwhenthemasterwasdisobeyedeveninthewildestthings。Thishalf-castegirlseemedtohim，seemedtoeveryone，mad——blasphemousalmost。Thelittleman，bywayofcomparison，reflectedonthegauntriderwiththescarredlip，asstalwartashismaster，asbraveand，indeed，perhapsbraver，andyetforhimtherewasobedience，nothingbuttogiveobediencedulyandstoutly……

Certainsensationsofthehandsandkneescalledthelittlemanbacktomoreimmediatethings。Hebecameawareofsomething。Herodeupbesidehisgauntfellow。“Doyounoticethehorses？“hesaidinanundertone。

Thegauntfacelookedinterrogation。

“Theydon’tlikethiswind，“saidthelittleman，anddroppedbehindasthemanwiththesilverbridleturneduponhim。

“It’sallright，“saidthegaunt-facedman。

Theyrodeonagainforaspaceinsilence。Theforemosttworodedowncastuponthetrail，thehindmostmanwatchedthehazethatcreptdownthevastnessofthevalley，nearerandnearer，andnotedhowthewindgrewinstrengthmomentbymoment。Farawayonthelefthesawalineofdarkbulks——wildhogperhaps，gallopingdownthevalley，butofthathesaidnothing，nordidheremarkagainupontheuneasinessofthehorses。