quently had been; and I know that I slept soundly
till morning.

CHAPTER FOUR.

ATTACKED BY ROBBERS--A MERCIFUL DEED RETURNED WITH INTEREST.

The scenery we passed the next day was very similar to what I have
already described; but the valley, which, on being contrasted with the
snowy region we had just left, appeared so attractive, was, I found,
when seen by the morning light, owing to its high elevation, a very
barren and desolate place.

We rode on for some hours through scenery such as I have before
described, when in the afternoon, as we were beginning to fancy that we
were near the termination of our day's journey, we entered a deep gorge,
with the dark rocks towering up, wild and rugged, on either side of us.
It was just such a place as one might have expected an ambush to have
been placed in; as a few resolute men might have held the road, aided by
others sheltered by the rocks, against a whole army attempting to pass.
An oppressive gloom invaded the spot, and the air seemed damp and heavy,
as if the warming rays of the sun had never penetrated below the tops of
the cliffs.

I was riding on in advance of the main body, when, on reaching the spot
where the gorge opened somewhat, I saw at a considerable distance before
me what I took to be a mark on the cliff in the shape of a horse with a
rider. As I advanced, however, I perceived that it was a lonely man on
horseback. He was too far off, standing as he was in shade, for me to
distinguish his dress or appearance. He seemed to be stationary, as if
watching our approach. A sharp turn in the road shut out the view
beyond him. Had I been an old soldier, I should have fallen back on my
companions and reported what I had seen; but I fancied that the horseman
was a traveller like ourselves, and so I continued to ride carelessly
on. I was very nearly falling a victim to my neglect. I had advanced
some two hundred yards farther, when my friends reached the spot from
which I had first caught sight of the horseman. He was still there, but
no sooner did he see them than he wheeled round his horse and
disappeared behind the cliffs. This I thought suspicious. My first
impulse was to gallop on to overtake the man; but fortunately the chief
guide had just then come up with me, and urged me not to go on. I
therefore shouted out to my friends to let them know what I had seen,
and reined in my steed till they came up. The information did not
hasten the advance