Pentaur let his guide lead the way; they came, without having occasion to fight, as far as the gorge between the hills, through which a full and foaming mountain torrent rushed to the valley.  Kaschta dropped from his horse, and the others did the same.  After the horses had passed through the water, he carefully effaced their tracks as far as the road, then for about half a mile he ascended the valley against the stream.  At last he stopped in front of a thick oleander-bush, looked carefully about, and lightly pushed it aside; when he had found an entrance, his companions and their weary scrambling beasts followed him without difficulty, and they presently found themselves in a grove of lofty cedars.  Now they had to squeeze themselves between masses of rock, now they labored up and down over smooth pebbles, which offered scarcely any footing to the horses’ hoofs; now they had to push their way through thick brushwood, and now to cross little brooks swelled by the winter-rains.

The road became more difficult at every step, then it began to grow dark, and heavy drops of rain fell from the clouded sky.

“Make haste, and keep close to me,” cried Kaschta.  “Half an hour more, and we shall be under shelter, if I do not lose my way.”

Then a horse broke down, and with great difficulty was got up again; the rain fell with increased violence, the night grew darker, and the soldier often found himself brought to a stand-still, feeling for the path with his hands; twice he thought he had lost it, but he would not give in till he had recovered the track.  At last he stood still, and called Pentaur to come to him.

“Hereabouts,” said he, “the cave must be; keep close to me—­it is possible that we may come upon some of the pioneer’s people.  Provisions and fuel were always kept here in his father’s time.  Can you see me?  Hold on to my girdle, and bend your head low till I tell you you may stand upright again.  Keep your axe ready, we may find some of the Cheta or bandits roosting there.  You people must wait, we will soon call you to come under shelter.”

Pentaur closely followed his guide, pushing his way through the dripping brushwood, crawling through a low passage in the rock, and at last emerging on a small rocky plateau.

“Take care where you are going!” cried Kaschta.  “Keep to the left, to the right there is a deep abyss.  I smell smoke!  Keep your hand on your axe, there must be some one in the cave.  Wait!  I will fetch the men as far as this.”

The soldier went back, and Pentaur listened for any sounds that might come from the same direction as the smoke.  He fancied he could perceive a small gleam of light, and he certainly heard quite plainly, first a tone of complaint, then an angry voice; he went towards the light, feeling his way by the wall on his left; the light shone broader and brighter, and seemed to issue from a crack in a door.

By this time the soldier had rejoined Pentaur, and both listened for a few minutes; then the poet whispered to his guide: