hough on the other hand their progress became more
painful, their way more burdened with stones.

But it was glorious work to Marcus. These masses of rock were only
difficulties in the way waiting to be mastered. It was quite refreshing
to leave the leading of the horses to the driver and add their strength
in pulling, pushing, and now and then seizing the spokes to hoist a
wheel over some stony bar.

Their progress was slow towards the far end of the amphitheatre, but
every score of yards was something gained, and all worked eagerly till
at last the lower end of the amphitheatre was reached, where the rocks
closed in again and a small ravine was before them, whose bottom was the
bed of a mountain torrent along which a shallow stream hurried, hardly
above the soles of the adventurers' sandals, though the smooth rocks of
the bed and sides showed plainly enough that there were times when a
furious flood dashed along, laden with smaller stones and gravel, whose
effects were to polish the bigger rocks in their way.

"Better not talk," growled Serge, as they began to make quicker
progress. "I don't suppose anyone is here; they'll all have gone to the
front; but you never know, and every bad word is picked up by the rocks
and sent flying far away till it drops plump into somebody's ear.
Steady's the word, boy. Keep your little chap still. I don't suppose
this bit of a streamlet keeps like this. I expect the narrow bed opens
out soon, for the hills seem to grow smaller and smaller here, and I am
hoping that we shall come upon level ground so that we may get a gallop
to stretch the ponies' legs."

"Ah, I hope so," cried Marcus, eagerly. "Now you are beginning to talk,
Serge, like a man."

"And that means, boy, that I was talking a bit ago like some old woman,
I suppose. Well, part of a soldier's duty is to take care. Steady you,
sir, and don't splash the water up like that," the old soldier continued
softly to the pony whose head he held. "It's all very nice for you, and
I dare say the water feels nice and pleasant to your hoofs; but keep
quiet. You don't have to polish the rust off your armour--I do. I wish
to goodness we could get on good dry ground."

Like the rest of mountain torrents, the one whose bed they were
following zig-zagged in all directions, so that even from their old
point of vantage they had been able to see but a very little way along,
and were quite content with the knowledge that the rocks