was no way out except to return. Could the horse climb up with her
on his back? And could she keep her seat? She grew cold with fear at the
thought, for all her riding experience had been on the level, and she
had become more and more conscious of her flagging strength.

Besides, the growing thirst was becoming awful. Oh, for just one drop of
that water that the pony was enjoying! Black and dirty as it was she
felt she could drink it. But it was out of her reach and she dared not
get down. Suddenly a thought came to her. She would wet her handkerchief
and moisten her lips with that. If she stooped over quite carefully she
might be able to let it down far enough to touch the water.

She pulled the small bit of linen from the tiny pocket of her habit and
the pony, as if to help her, waded into the water farther until her
skirt almost touched it. Now she found that by putting her arm about the
pony's neck she could dip most of her handkerchief in the water, and
dirty as it was it was most refreshing to bathe her face and hands and
wrists and moisten her lips.

But the pony when he had his fill had no mind to tarry, and with a
splash, a plunge and a wallow that gave the girl an unexpected shower
bath, he picked his way out of the hole and up the rocky side of the
descent, while she clung frightened to the saddle and wondered if she
could possibly hang on until they were up on the mesa again. The dainty
handkerchief dropped in the flight floated pitifully on the muddy water,
another bit of comfort left behind.

But when they were up and away again, what with the fright, and the fact
that they had come out of the hole on the opposite side from that which
they had entered it, the girl had lost all sense of direction, and
everywhere stretched away one vast emptiness edged with mountains that
stood out clear, cold and unfriendly.

The whole atmosphere of the earth seemed to have changed while they were
down at the drinking hole, for now the shadows were long and had almost
a menacing attitude as they crept along or leaped sideways after the
travellers. Hazel noticed with a startled glance at the sky that the sun
was low and would soon be down. And that of course where the sun hung
like a great burning opal must be the west, but that told her nothing,
for the sun had been high in the heavens when they had started, and she
had taken no note of direction. East, west, north or south were all one
to her in her happy care-free lif