by H G Wells

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

For space they scanned the great expanse below them with eager eyes It spread remoter and remoter, with only few clusters of sere thorn bushes here and there, dim suggestions of some now waterless ravine to break its desolation of yellow grass Its purple distances melted at last bluish slopes further hills--hills it of greener kind--and above them, invisibly supported, and seeming indeed to hang blue, were the snow-clad summits of mountains--that grew larger and bolder northwestward sides valley drew together And westward the valley opened until 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 scarred lip first "Nowhere," , with sigh of disappointment voice "But, after all, they had full day's start "

"They don't know after them," said the little man white horse

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

"Even then 't go fast They've got no beast but the mule, and all to-day the girl's foot bleeding----"

The man silver bridle flashed quick intensity of rage on him " I haven't seen that ? " he snarled

"It helps, anyhow," whispered the little man to himself

The gaunt man scarred lip stared impassively " 't be over the valley," " ride hard----"

He glanced white horse and paused

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

The little man looked down melancholy ears steed

" my best,"

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

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

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

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

The gaunt man checked his leader's tracking, little man white horse rode behind, man lost in dream They rode one after another, the man silver bridle led the way, spoke never word After time it came little man white horse world was very still He started out dream Besides the little noises horses and equipment, the whole great valley kept the brooding quiet of painted scene

Before him went his master fellow, each intently leaning forward left, each impassively moving paces horse; their shadows went before them--still, noiseless, tapering attendants; and nearer crouched cool shape was his own He looked about him it had gone ? Then he remembered the reverberation banks gorge perpetual accompaniment of shifting, jostling pebbles And, moreover---- ? no breeze That ! What vast, still place , monotonous afternoon slumber ! sky open and blank except for sombre veil of haze that had gathered upper valley

He straightened his back, fretted bridle, puckered his lips to whistle, and simply sighed He turned saddle for time, and stared throat mountain gorge out they had come Blank ! Blank slopes on either side, with never sign of decent beast or tree-- much less man What land ! What wilderness ! He dropped again into his former pose

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

He pulled up sharply to avoid collision gaunt man, who had stopped at fault trail Just guilty moment he caught his master's eye looking towards him

For time he forced an interest tracking Then, 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 very limits world desolate place, short of water, with nothing but strip of dried meat under their saddles, over rocks and mountains, where surely none but these fugitives had ever been before-- !

And all for girl, mere wilful child ! man had whole cityfuls of people his basest bidding--girls, women ! Why name of passionate folly ? asked the little man, and scowled world, and licked his parched lips with blackened tongue It way master, was all Just because she sought to evade him .

His eye caught 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-- 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 yellow animal crested rise and came bearing down upon them big wild dog, coming wind, tongue out, at steady pace, and running an intensity of purpose that seem the horsemen he approached He ran nose up, following, plain, neither scent nor quarry As he drew nearer the little man felt sword "He's mad," said the gaunt rider

"Shout ! " said the little man, and shouted

The dog came on Then little man's blade was already out, it swerved aside and went panting and passed The eyes little man followed its flight " no foam," For space the man 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 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 'Come on ! ' stupendous violence of effect ? Always, all his life, the man silver bridle saying that If it-- ! " thought the little man But people marvelled master was disobeyed even wildest things This half-caste girl seemed to him, seemed to , mad--blasphemous almost The little man, by way of comparison, reflected gaunt rider scarred lip, as stalwart as his master, as brave and, indeed, perhaps braver, and yet for him obedience, nothing but obedience duly and stoutly .

Certain sensations hands and knees called the little man back to more immediate things He became aware of something He rode up beside his gaunt fellow " notice the horses ? " in an undertone

The gaunt face looked interrogation

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

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

They rode on again for space in silence The foremost two rode downcast trail, the hindmost man watched the haze that crept down the vastness valley, nearer and nearer, and noted how the wind grew in strength moment by moment Far away left line of dark bulks--wild hog, perhaps, galloping down the valley, but nothing, nor did he remark again uneasiness horses

And then first one and then second great white ball, great shining white ball like gigantic head of thistledown, that drove wind athwart the path These balls soared high air, and dropped and rose again and caught for moment, and hurried on and passed, but sight the restlessness horses increased

Then presently that more drifting globes--and then soon more--were hurrying towards him down the valley

They became aware of squealing Athwart the path huge boar rushed, turning his head but instant to glance at them, and then hurling on down the valley again And all three stopped and sat in their saddles, staring thickening haze that was coming upon them

" thistle-down--" began the leader

But now big globe came drifting past within score of yards really not an even sphere at all, but vast, soft, ragged, filmy thing, sheet gathered 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

looked at one another

"Curse it ! " cried the leader "The air's full of lit up there keeps on pace long, stop us altogether "

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