The Valley of Spiders by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2]
the valley of Spiders

by H .G .Wells

towards mid- day the three pursuers came abruptly round a bend in_the torrent bed upon_the sight of a very broad and spacious valley . the difficult and winding trench of pebbles along which they had tracked the fugitives for so_long expanded to a broad slope, and with a common impulse the three men left the trail, and rode to a little eminence set with olive- dun trees, and there halted, the two others, as became them, a little behind the man with_the silver- studded bridle .

for a space they scanned the great expanse below them with eager eyes . it spread remoter and remoter, with only a few clusters of sere thorn bushes here and there, and_the dim suggestions of some now waterless ravine to break its desolation of yellow grass . its purple distances melted at last into_the bluish slopes of_the further hills--hills it might_be of a greener kind-- and above them, invisibly supported, and seeming indeed to hang in_the blue, were the snow-clad summits of mountains-- that grew larger and bolder to_the northwestward as_the sides of_the valley drew together . and westward the valley opened until a distant darkness under the sky told where the forests began . but the three men looked neither east nor west, but only steadfastly across the valley .

the gaunt man with_the scarred lip was_the first to_speak ." nowhere," he_said, with a sigh of disappointment in_his voice ." but, after all, they had a full day's start ."

" they don't know we_are after them," said the little man on_the white horse .

"_She would know," said the leader bitterly, as_if speaking to himself .

" even then they_can't go fast . they've got no beast but the mule, and all to- day the girl's foot has_been bleeding----"

the man with_the silver bridle flashed a quick intensity of rage on him ." do_you_think I haven't seen that ? " he snarled .

" it helps, anyhow," whispered the little man to himself .

the gaunt man with_the scarred lip stared impassively ." they_can't be over the valley," he_said ." if_we ride hard----"

he glanced at_the white horse and paused .

" curse all white horses ! " said the man with_the silver bridle, and turned to scan the beast his curse included .

the little man looked down between_the melancholy ears of_his steed .

" I_did my best," he_said .

the two others stared again across the valley for a space . the gaunt man passed the back of_his hand across the scarred lip .

" come up ! " said the man who owned the silver bridle, suddenly . the little man started and jerked his rein, and_the horse hoofs of_the three made a multitudinous faint pattering upon_the withered grass as_they turned back towards the trail .. .

they rode cautiously down the long slope before them, and so came through a waste of prickly twisted bushes and strange dry shapes of thorny branches that grew amongst the rocks, into_the levels below . and there the trail grew faint, for_the soil was scanty, and_the only herbage was_this scorched dead straw that lay upon_the ground . still, by hard scanning, by leaning beside the horses' necks and pausing ever and again, even these white men could contrive to_follow after their prey .

there were trodden places, bent and broken blades of_the coarse grass, and ever and again the sufficient intimation of a footmark . and once the leader saw a brown smear of blood where the half- caste girl may_have trod . and at_that under his breath he cursed her for a fool .

the gaunt man checked his leader's tracking, and_the little man on_the white horse rode behind, a man lost in a dream . they rode one after another, the man with_the silver bridle led the way, and_they spoke never a word . after a time it came to_the little man on_the white horse that_the world was very still . he started out of_his dream . besides the little noises of_their horses and equipment, the whole great valley kept the brooding quiet of a painted scene .

before him went his master and_his fellow, each intently leaning forward to_the left, each impassively moving with_the paces of_his horse; their shadows went before them-- still, noiseless, tapering attendants; and nearer a crouched cool shape was his own . he looked about him . what_was it had gone ? then he remembered the reverberation from_the banks of_the gorge and_the perpetual accompaniment of shifting, jostling pebbles . and, moreover---- ? there_was no breeze . that was_it ! what a vast, still place it_was, a monotonous afternoon slumber ! and_the sky open and blank except for asombre veil of haze that had gathered in_the upper valley .

he straightened his back, fretted with_his bridle, puckered his lips to whistle, and simply sighed . he turned in_his saddle for a time, and stared at_the throat of_the mountain gorge out of_which they had come . blank ! blank slopes on either side, with never a sign of a decent beast or tree-- much less a man . what a land it_was ! what a wilderness ! he dropped again into his former pose .

it filled him with a momentary pleasure to_see a wry stick of purple black flash out into_the form of a snake, and vanish amidst the brown . after all, the infernal valley was alive . and then, to rejoice him still more, came a little breath across his face, a whisper that came and went, the faintest inclination of a stiff black- antlered bush upon a little crest, the first intimations of a possible breeze . idly he wetted his finger, and held it up .

he pulled up sharply to avoid a collision with_the gaunt man, who had stopped at fault upon_the trail . just at_that guilty moment he caught his master's eye looking towards him .

for a time he forced an interest in_the tracking . then, as_they rode on again, he studied his master's shadow and hat and shoulder, appearing and disappearing behind the gaunt man's nearer contours . they had ridden four days out_of_the very limits of_the world into_this desolate place, short of water, with nothing but a strip of dried meat under their saddles, over rocks and mountains, where surely none but these fugitives had ever been before-- for_that !

and all this_was for a girl, amere wilful child ! and_the man had whole cityfuls of people to_do his basest bidding--girls, women ! why in_the name of passionate folly this_one in_particular ? asked the little man, and scowled at_the world, and licked his parched lips with ablackened tongue . it was_the way of_the master, and_that was all he_knew . just because she sought to evade him .. .

his eye caught a whole row of high- plumed canes bending in unison, and then the tails of silk that hung before his neck flapped and fell . the breeze was growing stronger . somehow it took the stiff stillness out of things-- and_that was well .

"Hullo ! " said the gaunt man .

all three stopped abruptly .

" what ? " asked the master ." what ? "

" over there," said the gaunt man, pointing up the valley .

" what ? "

" something coming towards us ."

and as he spoke a yellow animal crested a rise and came bearing down upon them . it_was a big wild dog, coming before_the wind, tongue out, at a steady pace, and running with_such an intensity of purpose that he_did_not seem to_see the horsemen he approached . he ran with_his nose up, following, it_was plain, neither scent nor quarry . as he drew nearer the little man felt for_his sword ." he's mad," said the gaunt rider .

" shout ! " said the little man, and shouted .

the dog came on . then when_the little man's blade was already out, it swerved aside and went panting by_them and passed . the eyes of_the little man followed its flight ." there_was no foam," he_said . for a space the man with_the silver- studded bridle stared up the valley ."Oh, come on ! " he cried at last ." what does it matter ? " and jerked his horse into movement again .

the little man left the insoluble mystery of a dog that fled from nothing but the wind, and lapsed into profound musings on human character ." come on ! " he whispered to himself ." why should it be given to one man to_say ' come on ! ' with_that stupendous violence of effect ? always, all his life, the man with_the silver bridle has_been saying that . if I_said it-- ! " thought the little man . but people marvelled when_the master was disobeyed even in_the wildest things . this half- caste girl seemed to him, seemed to every_one, mad-- blasphemous almost . the little man, by way of comparison, reflected on_the gaunt rider with_the scarred lip, as stalwart as his master, as brave and, indeed, perhaps braver, and yet for him there_was obedience, nothing but to_give obedience duly and stoutly .. .

certain sensations of_the hands and knees called the little man back to more immediate things . he became aware of something . he rode up beside his gaunt fellow ." do_you notice the horses ? " he_said in an undertone .

the gaunt face looked interrogation .

" they don't like this wind," said the little man, and dropped behind as_the man with_the silver bridle turned upon him .

" it's all right," said the gaunt- faced man .

they rode on again for a space in silence . the foremost two rode downcast upon_the trail, the hindmost man watched the haze that crept down the vastness of_the valley, nearer and nearer, and noted how the wind grew in strength moment by moment . far away on_the left he_saw a line of dark bulks-- wild hog, perhaps, galloping down the valley, but of_that he_said nothing, nor did he remark again upon_the uneasiness of_the horses .

and then he_saw first one and then a second great white ball, a great shining white ball like a gigantic head of thistledown, that drove before_the wind athwart the path . these balls soared high in_the air, and dropped and rose again and caught for a moment, and hurried on and passed, but at_the sight of_them the restlessness of_the horses increased .

then presently he_saw that more of_these drifting globes-- and then soon very_many more-- were hurrying towards him down the valley .

they became aware of asquealing . athwart the path a huge boar rushed, turning his head but for_one instant to glance at them, and then hurling on down the valley again . and at_that all three stopped and sat in their saddles, staring into_the thickening haze that was coming upon them .

" if_it were_not for_this thistle- down--" began the leader .

but now a big globe came drifting past within a score of yards of_them . it_was really not an even sphere at all, but a vast, soft, ragged, filmy thing, a sheet gathered by_the corners, an aerial jelly- fish, as it were, but rolling over and over as it advanced, and trailing long cobwebby threads and streamers that floated in its wake .

" it isn't thistle- down," said the little man .

"I don't like the stuff," said the gaunt man .

and_they looked at one another .

" curse it ! " cried the leader ." the air's full of lit up there . if_it keeps on at_this pace long, it_will stop us altogether ."

an instinctive feeling, such as lines out a herd of deer at_the approach of some ambiguous thing, prompted them to_turn their horses to_the wind, ride forward for a few paces, and stare at_that advancing multitude of floating masses . they came on before_the wind with a sort of smooth swiftness, rising and falling noiselessly, sinking to earth, rebounding high, soaring-- all with a perfect unanimity, with a still, deliberate assurance .

right and left of_the horsemen the pioneers of_this strange army passed . at one that rolled along the ground, breaking shapelessly and trailing out reluctantly into long grappling ribbons and bands, all three horses began to shy and dance . the master was seized with a sudden, unreasonable impatience . he cursed the drifting globes roundly ." get on ! " he cried; " get on ! what do these things matter ? how can they matter ? back to_the trail ! " he fell swearing at his horse and sawed the bit across its mouth .

he shouted aloud with rage ." i_will follow that trail, I tell you," he cried ." where is_the trail ? "

he gripped the bridle of_his prancing horse and searched amidst the grass .a long and clinging thread fell across his face, agrey streamer dropped about his bridle arm, some big, active thing with many legs ran down the back of_his head . he looked up_to discover one of_those grey masses anchored as it were above him by_these things and flapping out ends as a sail flaps when a boat comes about-- but noiselessly .

he had an impression of many eyes, of a dense crew of squat bodies, of long, many- jointed limbs hauling at their mooring ropes to bring the thing down upon him . for a space he stared up, reining in_his prancing horse with_the instinct born of years of horsemanship . then the flat of a sword smote his back, and a blade flashed overhead and cut the drifting balloon of spider- web free, and_the whole mass lifted softly and drove clear and away .

"Spiders ! " cried the voice

Section [1 | 2]