ater good and clear; let us drink then, and so spare our water-skins,
for belike the dry desert is yet long." And therewith he knelt down
that he might take of the water in the hollow of his hand. But Ursula
drew him back, and cried out in terror: "O Ralph, do it not! Seest
thou not this water, that although it be bright and clear, so that we
may see all the pebbles at the bottom, yet nevertheless when the wind
eddies about, and lifts the skirts of our raiment, it makes no ripple
on the face of the pool, and doubtless it is heavy with venom; and
moreover there is no sign of the way hereabout, as at other
watering-steads; O forbear, Ralph!"

Then he rose up and drew back with her but slowly and unwillingly as
she deemed; and they stood together a while gazing on these marvels.
But lo amidst of this while, there came a crow wheeling over the valley
of the dead, and he croaked over the Dry Tree, and let himself drop
down to the edge of the pool, whereby he stalked about a little after
the manner of his kind. Then he thrust his neb into the water and
drank, and thereafter took wing again; but ere he was many feet off the
ground he gave a grievous croak, and turning over in the air fell down
stark dead close to the feet of those twain; and Ralph cried out but
spake no word with meaning therein; then said Ursula: "Yea, thus are
we saved from present death." Then she looked in Ralph's face, and
turned pale and said hastily: "O my friend how is it with thee?" But
she waited not for an answer, but turned her face to the bent whereby
they had come down, and cried out in a loud, shrill voice: "O Ralph,
Ralph! look up yonder to the ridge whereby we left our horses; look,
look! there glitters a spear and stirreth! and lo a helm underneath the
spear: tarry not, let us save our horses!"

Then Ralph let a cry out from his mouth, and set off running to the
side of the slope, and fell to climbing it with great strides, not
heeding Ursula; but she followed close after, and scrambled up with
foot and hand and knee, till she stood beside him on the top, and he
looked around wildly and cried out: "Where! where are they?"

"Nowhere," she said, "it was naught but my word to draw thee from
death; but praise to the saints that thou are come alive out of the
accursed valley."

He seemed not to hearken, but turned about once, and beat the air with
his hands, and then fell down on his back and with a great wail she
cast herself upon him