The valley lay before her, almost a level plain,
except for the stream winding through its centre, and all about,
unbroken and precipitous, arose the rampart of rocks, which seemed
unscalable.
She rested there long enough to trace this barrier inch by inch in its
complete circle, but found no opening, no cleft, promising a possible
exit, except where the trail led up almost directly opposite, and only
memory of her descent enabled her to recognise this. Satisfied that
the top could be attained in no other way, her eyes sought the things
of more immediate interest. The two cabins were directly before the
entrance, the smaller closely in against the cliff, the larger slightly
advanced. Neither exhibited any sign of life; indeed the only evidence
that the valley contained human occupants was the distant view of two
herders, busily engaged in rounding up a bunch of cattle on the
opposite bank of the stream. These were too far away, and too intently
engaged at their task, to observe any movement at this distance.
Her study of the situation concentrated on the small cabin immediately
in front.
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