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。
