At the upper end of the valley rose a hill, not very high, but steep, narrow at the ridge, and steep again on the other side.

Over it was a broad, wooded, and beautiful vale; beyond that again the higher mountains.

Towards the foot of the narrow ridge here, there was a succession of chalk cliffs, so that to climb up on that side in the face of opposition would be extremely difficult.

In the gorge of the enclosed narrow valley a spring rose.

The shepherds had formed eight pools, one after the other, water being of great importance to them; and farther down, where the valley opened, there were forty or fifty acres of irrigated meadow.