"I certainly vote for the halt," Carter said, "I am sure that we deserve it. How did you think the valley lay?"
"I should think, from the appearance of the hills behind it, that it must run north and south, which is the right direction for us."
"Probably when we get to the other end," Carter said, "we shall find a track of some sort, through which we can pass into the next valley. I don't know whether there is much traffic between these villages; if so, we shall have to travel at night; if not, we can risk it and go on by day. I hope the latter will be the case. It will be bad enough finding our way along the valleys now that there is no moon, and we should make very slow work of it on the tracks connecting them on a dark night."
"We shall have a new moon this afternoon," Nita said.
"Yes, it was full the night that I stood at the window, and that is a fortnight ago to-day."
"It will be splendid, Charlie, if it gets even half full, then we shall make good travelling, whatever ground we are crossing over. At any rate, when we get into the valley you will let me carry the rifle, won't you? You insisted on taking it, you know; but if it comes to fighting, I have a right to it, haven't I?"
"Certainly you have, and as you are a very much better shot than I am, it will be more valuable in your hands than in mine."
The following evening they camped some three miles from the valley. The next day they only moved to a spot where they commanded a full view of it. They thought it was some twenty miles long and contained many villages.
"Thank goodness there is a river running down it," Nita said; "that will be some guide, anyhow. There are only one or two villages on the banks, as far as I can see, the rest are on the hillsides."
They started as soon as it was dark, made their way down into the valley, and, striking the river, kept along down it; not keeping close, however, for the course meandered so much that it would add very greatly to the distance to be travelled.