large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_11_doyle_64kb_45
large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_11_doyle_64kb
English
8902
It was a bewildering route for anyone who was not accustomed to face Nature in her wildest moods. On the one side a great crag towered up a thousand feet or more, black, stern, and menacing, with long basaltic columns upon its rugged surface like the ribs of some petrified monster. On the other hand a wild chaos of boulders and debris made all advance impossible. Between the two ran the irregular track, so narrow in places that they had to travel in Indian file, and so rough that only practised riders could have traversed it at all. IT WAS A BEWILDERING ROUTE FOR ANYONE WHO WAS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO FACE NATURE IN HER WILDEST MOODS ON THE ONE SIDE A GREAT CRAG TOWERED UP A THOUSAND FEET OR MORE BLACK STERN AND MENACING WITH LONG BASALTIC COLUMNS UPON ITS RUGGED SURFACE LIKE THE RIBS OF SOME PETRIFIED MONSTER ON THE OTHER HAND A WILD CHAOS OF BOULDERS AND DEBRIS MADE ALL ADVANCE IMPOSSIBLE BETWEEN THE TWO RAN THE IRREGULAR TRACK SO NARROW IN PLACES THAT THEY HAD TO TRAVEL IN INDIAN FILE AND SO ROUGH THAT ONLY PRACTISED RIDERS COULD HAVE TRAVERSED IT AT ALL
 the girl when her strength appeared to fail her. “Hurry on! hurry on!” he gasped from time to time. “We are through the line of sentinels. Everything depends on speed. Hurry on!” Once on the high road they made rapid progress. Only once did they meet anyone, and then they managed to slip into a field, and so avoid recognition. Before reaching the town the hunter branched away into a rugged and narrow footpath which led to the mountains. Two dark jagged peaks loomed above them through the darkness, and the defile which led between them was the Eagle Cañon in which the horses were awaiting them. With unerring instinct Jefferson Hope picked his way among the great boulders and along the bed of a dried-up watercourse, until he came to the retired corner, screened with rocks, where the faithful animals had been picketed. The girl was placed upon the mule, and old Ferrier upon one of the horses, with his money-bag, while Jefferson Hope led the other along the precipitous and dangerous path. UPPORTING AND HALF CARRYING THE GIRL WHEN HER STRENGTH APPEARED TO FAIL HER HURRY ON HURRY ON HE GASPED FROM TIME TO TIME WE'RE THROUGH THE LINE OF SENTINELS EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON SPEED HURRY ON ONCE ON THE HIGHROAD THEY MADE RAPID PROGRESS ONLY ONCE DID THEY MEET ANY ONE AND THEN THEY MANAGED TO SLIP INTO A FIELD AND SO AVOID RECOGNITION BEFORE REACHING THE TOWN THE HUNTER BRANCHED AWAY INTO A RUGGED AND NARROW FOOTPATH WHICH LED TO THE MOUNTAINS TWO DARK JAGGED PEAKS LOOMED ABOVE THEM THROUGH THE DARKNESS AND THE DEFILE WHICH LED BETWEEN THEM WAS THE EAGLE CANNON IN WHICH THE HORSES WERE AWAITING THEM WITH UNERRING INSTINCT JEFFERSON HOPE PICKED HIS WAY AMONG THE GREAT BOULDERS AND ALONG THE BED OF A DRIED UP WATERCOURSE UNTIL HE CAME TO THE RETIRED CORNER SCREENED WITH ROCKS WHERE THE FAITHFUL ANIMALS HAD BEEN PICKETED THE GIRL WAS PLACED UPON THE MULE AN OLD FERRIER UPON ONE OF THE HORSES WITH HIS MONEY BAG WHILE JEFFERSON HOPE LED THE OTHER ALONG THE PRECIPITOUS AND DANGEROUS PATH
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