Thisseemedtolastforhours。Theimewhentherewasnolongeranymooorideinthedeaddarknessforhoursandhours。AhereeahecouldseeBree'snedheadinfrontofhimalittlemoreclearlythanbefore;andslowly，veryslowly，hebegantograyflatnessoneveryside。Itlookedabsolutelydead，likesomethinginadeadworld;andShastafeltquiteterriblytiredahewasgettingdthathislipsweredry。Ahesqueakoftheleather，thejihebits，andthehehoofs-notPropputtypropputtyasitwouldbeonahardroad，butThubbudythubbudyonthedrysand。
Atlast，afterh，farawayhtthereglelongstreakray，lowdownonthehorizoreakofred。Itwasthematlast，butwithoutasiosingaboutit。Hewasgladofthewalkingbitsnow，forhewascolderthanever。
Thehesunroseahingamoment。Thegraysandturnedyellowandtwinkledasifitithdiamonds。OheshadowsofShastaandHwinandBreeandAravis，enormouslylong，racedbesidethem。ThedoublepeakofMountPire，farahead，flashediandShastasawtheywerealittleoutofthecourse。“Abitleft，abitleft，”hesaofall，whenyoulookedback，Tashbaanwasalreadysmallaombswerequiteinvisible:sinthatsingle，jagged-edgedhumpwhichwasthecityoftheTisroefeltbetter。
Butn。ThoughTashbaanlookedveryfarawaywhesawit，itrefusedtolookanyfurtherawayastheywenton。Shastagaveuplookingbackatit，foritohefeelingthattheywerenotmovingatall。Thebeuisaheglareofthesandmadehiseyesache:buthekn'tshutthem。HemustscrewthemupandkeeponlookiMountPireandshoutingoutdires。The。Heforthefirsttimewheodismountandpeddowheheatfromitstrutohisfaceasiffromtheopeningofanoveimeitwasworse。Butthethirdtime，ashisbarefeettouchedthesahpainabathestirrupaherhalfoverBree'sbackbeforeyoucouldhavesaidknife。
“Sorry，Bree，”hegasped。“I'twalk。Itbur。”“Ofcourse!”pantedBree。“Shouldhavethoughtofthatmyself。Stayon。'tbehelped。”
“It'sallrightforyou，”saidShastatoAravisalkingbesideHwin。“You'vegotshoeson。”
Aravissaidnothingandlookedprim。Let'shopeshedidn'tmeanto，butshedid。
Onagain，trotandwalkandtrot，jingle-jingle-jingle，squeak-squeak-squeak，smellofhothorse，smellofhotself，blindingglare，headaothingatalldifferentformileaftermile。Tashbaanwouldneverlookahemountainswouldneverlookanynearer。Youfeltthishadbeengoingonforalways—jingle-jingle-jingle，squeaksqueak-squeak，smellofhothorse，smellofhotself。
Ofetriedallsameswithorytomakethetimepass:andofcoursetheywereallnogood。Ariedveryhardnottothinkofdriiashbaan，clearspriinklingwithadarkearthysound，ilkjustoughandnottoodtheharderyoutriednottothink，themoreyouthought。
Atlasttherewassomethi—amassofrogupoutofthesandaboutfiftyyardslongandthirtyfeethigh。Itdidnotcastmuchshadow，forthesunwasnh，butitcastalittle。Intothatshadetheycrowded。Theretheyatesomefoodanddrankalittlewater。ItisnoteasygivingahorseadrinkoutofaskiBreeandHwihtheirlips。hinglikeenough。heHorseswerefleckedwithfoamahingwasnoisy。The>
Afteraveryshortresttheywentonagain。Samenoises，samesmells，sameglare，tillatlasttheirshadowsbegantofallht，alertilltheyseemedtostretchouttotheEasterheworld。VeryslowlythesuheWesternhorizon。Andnowatlasthewasdownand，thahemercilessglarewasgohoughtheheatingupfromthesandwasstillasbadasever。FourpairsofeyeswerelookingouteagerlyfhatSallowpadtheRavenhadspokenabout。But，mileaftermile，therewasnothingbutlevelsand。Andnowthedaywasquitedefinitelydone，andmostofthestarswereout，andstilltheHorsesthunderedonandtheroseandsankintheirsaddles，miserablewiththirstaillthemoonhadrisendidShasta—irange，barkingvoieohisperfectlydry-shoutout:
&is!”
Therewasnomistakingitnow。Ahead，andalittletht，theree:aslopedownwardandhummocksofroeachside。TheHorseswerefartootiredtospeakbuttheyswungroundtowarditandiheywereehegully。Atfirstitwasworseihadbeenouti，fortherewasabreathlessstuffiherockywallsandlessmoonlight。Theslopeuedsteeplydownwardsandtheroeitherhaheheightofcliffs。Theomeetvegetation—pricklycactus-likeplantsandcrassofthekindthatwouldprickyers。Soonthehorse-hooeadofsand。Roundeverybendofthevalley—andithadmaheylookedeagerlyforwater。TheHorseswereheerengthnow，andHwin，stumblingandpanting;waslaggingbehiheywerealmostindespairbeforeatlasttheycametoalittlemuddinessandatierthroughsofteraergrass。Aricklebecameabrook，andthebrookbecameastreamwithbushesoneachside，areambecameariverandtherecame（aftermoredisappoihanIcouldpossiblydescribe）—amomea，whohadbeeninakindofdoze，suddehatBreehadstoppedandfoundhimselfslippihemalittlecataractofouredintoabroadpool:andboththeHorseswerealreadyihtheirheadsd，drinking，drinking。“O-o-oh，”saidShastaatohiskoopedhisheadrighti。Itstheloveliestmomentinhislife。
Itwasaboutteerwhenallfourofthem（thetwowetnearlyallover）cameoutaoheirsurroundings。Themoonwasopeepdownintothevalley。Therewassoftgrassonbothsidesoftheriver，ahegrass，treesandbushesslopeduptothebasesofthecliffs。Theremusthavebeensomewonderfulflshrubshiddeninthatshadrowthforthewholegladewasfullofthedmostdeliells。AndoutofthedarkestregthetreestherecameasoundShastahadneverheardbefhtingale。
Everyonewasmuchtootiredtospeakortoeat。TheHorses，withoutwaitingtobeunsaddled，laydownatonce。SodidAravisandShasta。
AbouttehecarefulHwinsaid，“Butwemustn'tgotosleep。We'vegottokeepaheadofthatRabadash。”
“No，”saidBreeveryslowly。“Mustn'tgosleep。Justalittlerest。”
Shastaknew（foramoment）thattheywouldallgotosleepifhedidn'tgetupahingaboutit，aheoughtto。Infacthedecidedthathewouldgetupahemtogooly;justyet。。。
&hemoohenightingalesawohorsesandtwohuman，allfastasleep。
ItwasAraviswhoawokefirst。Thesunwasalreadyhighintheheavensandthehourswerealreadywasted。“It'smyfault，”shesaidtoherselffuriouslyasshejumpedupandbeganrousihers。“OnewouldHorsestokeepawakeafteraday'sworklikethat，evealk。AndofcoursethatBoywouldn't;he'shadraining。ButIoughttohaveker。”
&hersweredazedandstupidwiththeheaviheirsleep。
“Neigh-ho—broo-hoo，”saidBree。“Beensleepinginmysaddle，eh?I'llagain。Mostunfortable—”
“Oheon，”saidAravis。“We'velosthalfthemalready。Thereisn'tamomenttospare。”
“Afellow'sgottohaveamouthfulofgrass，”saidBree。
I'mafraidwe'twait，”saidAravis。
“What'stheterriblehurry?”saidBree。“We'vecrossedthedesert，haven'twe?”
“Butwe'renoti，”saidAravis。“Andwe'vegottogettherebeforeRabadash。”
“Oh，wemustbemilesaheadofhim，”saidBree。“Haven'twebeeningashorterway?Didn'tthatRavenfriendofyourssaythiswasashortcut，Shasta?”
“Hedidn'tsayanythingaboutshorter，”aa。“Heonlysaidbetter，becauseyougottoariverthisway。IftheoasisisdueNorthofTashbaan，thenI'mafraidthismaybelonger。”
“WellI'tgoonwithoutasnack，”saidBree。“Takemybridleoff，Shasta。”
“P-please，”saidHwin，veryshyly，“IfeeljustlikeBreethatI'tgoon。ButwhenHorseshavehumans（withspursandthings）ontheirba'ttheyofteogoohey&#likethis?aheyfindthey。Im-mean—oughtn'twetobeabletodoevehatwe'refree。It'sallforNarnia。”
“Ithink，Ma'am，”saidBreeverygly，“thatIknowalittlemoreaboutsandforcedmardwhatahorsedthanyoudo。”
TothisHwinmaden，likemosthighlybredmares，averynervousalepersonutdowyshewasquiteright，andifBreehadhadaTarkaanonhisbackatthatmomenttomakehimgoon，hewouldhavefoundthathewasgoodforseveralhours&#。Butoresultsofbeingaslaveandbeihingsisthatwhenthereisofororeyoufindyouhavealmostlostthepoweryourself。
SotheyhadtowaitwhileBreehadasnadadrink，andofcourseHwinandthehadasnadadrinktoo。Itmusthavebeennearlyeleveno'thembeforetheyfinallygotgoingagaihehingsmuchmentlythawasreallyHwin，thoughshewastheweakerairedofthetwo，whosetthepace。
Thevalleyitself，withitsbrown，crassandmossandwildflowersandrhododendrons，leasamadeyouwanttorideslowly。