n."

Hereupon, finding her so set on it I proceeded to equip myself for the
journey; in my belt I thrust my trusty knife and the hatchet, these
balanced by the pistol, and over my shoulder I slung my bow and quiver
of arrows and chose me a good stout sapling for staff. Soon cometh my
companion, her slender middle girt by a goatskin girdle whereto she had
hung our other sheath-knife and my wallet; so we set out together side
by side. Reaching the little valley, we turned off to the right, or
westerly, according to Adam's map, following the stream that rippled
amid great boulders or flowed 'twixt banks adorned with many-hued
flowers most rare to be seen. And here were bushes of all kinds and
trees a-plenty untouched by the gale, for the little valley, being well
secluded, it fortuned the wind had passed over it. Up rose the sun
waxing ever hotter, so that, reaching a grove of trees, I would have my
companion rest awhile in this right pleasant shade the whiles I, with
certain great leaves, contrived a covering for her head and another for
my own; which done, we fared on again and she very merry by reason of
the strange figures we cut. Thus we presently came out of the valley
into a pleasant champain--a rolling grassy upland with dim woods
beyond, even as Adam had set forth in his map. Wherefore, guided by
this map, we struck off north and so in a while came again to the river
and heard the roar of the waterfall away to our left; and turning
thither (I being minded to show her this wonder) we saw before us a
high land, well girt by bush and fern and flowering shrubs, up which we
scrambled forthwith, the roar of the fall waxing louder as we climbed.
Reaching the summit we saw it had once been covered by noble trees,
some few of which the storm had left standing yet, but for the most
part they lay wind-tossed in wild and tangled confusion.

"O Martin!" says my companion, "O Martin!" and so stood awed by the
destruction wrought by this mighty and pitiless tempest. Here was
ill-going, but by dint of labour with my hatchet I forced us a way
through the wreckage until we suddenly came where we might behold the
fall that leapt from the adjacent rocks, all rainbow-hued, to plunge
into those deep and troubled waters below.

And now instead of bursting forth into cries of delighted wonder, as I
had expected, my companion stood mute and still, her hands
tight-clasped, viewing now the splendour of these falling waters, now
the