deftness. He seemed to know by instinct when to expect any sudden
strain.

The heat of the sun was intense, notwithstanding the shelter
afforded by the hood of the cart. The air seemed to quiver above
the burning earth. She felt after a time as if her eyes could
endure the glare no longer. The rapid, bumping progress faded into
a sort of fitful unpleasant dream through which the only actual
vivid consciousness that remained to her centred in the man beside
her. She never lost sight of his presence. It dominated all
besides, though he drove almost entirely in silence and never
seemed to look her way.

At the end of what appeared an interminable stretch of time during
which all her sensibilities had gradually merged into one vast
discomfort, Burke spoke at her side.

"We've got a bit of tough going before us. Hang on tight! We'll
have a rest after it."

She opened her eyes and saw before her a steep slant between
massive stones, leading down to a wide channel of running water.
On the further side a similar steep ascent led up again.

"Ritter Spruit," said Ranger. "It's not deep enough to be
dangerous. Hold on! We shall soon be through."

He spoke to the horses and they gathered themselves as if for a
race. They thundered down the incline and were dashing through the
stony watercourse almost before Sylvia, clinging dazed to her seat,