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。