She still appeared to be staring directly ahead, with unseeing eyes, although her hands clung as tightly as ever to the saddle pommel.

I clinched my teeth, half crazed at the sight of her condition, yet feeling utterly helpless to do more.

I spoke to her again, but received no answer, not the slightest evidence that she even heard my voice or recognized her name.
The trail was clay with a few small stones embedded in it, and the horses made little noise in their descent, except once when Elsie's animal slipped and sent a loosened bit of rock rolling down to splash in some pool below.

We came to the bank of the creek at last, a narrow stream, easily fordable, but with a rather steep shore line beyond, and waited there a moment until Tim emerged from out the black woods at our right and joined us.

He was mounted, and, believing the time had arrived for more rapid movement, I also swung up into saddle and ranged the girl's horse beside mine.
"It looks to be open country beyond there," I said, pointing across, "what little I can see of it.