Suddenly, like a mere dot against the skyline,
there appeared over the giant dune to the north
a single horseman. A moment he seemed to
pause on the crest, then began the long descent,
slowly, with almost imperceptible movement.
He was not more than under way when another
dot appeared against the skyline, a second horseman,
close behind the first, who, like the first,
after seeming to pause a moment on the crest,
dipped into the long slope with almost imperceptible
movement. A third dot appeared, two
dots close beside each other, and these, like the
others, dipping into-the descent with almost imperceptible
movement, for all the world like flies
reluctantly entering a giant saucer. And then
appeared another, the fifth, and then no more.
The last also seemed to pause a brief moment on
the crest, and also dipped with almost imperceptible
movement into the long descent.

They struck the floor of the furnace. Details
began to emerge. One was a fat man, another
was a gaunt man, a third was a little man -- all
smooth of face. Then there was a man with a
scrubby beard. And there was another smoothfaced
man, riding a little apart from the others,
a little more alert, perhaps, his garments not their
garments, his horse a little rounder of outline,
a little more graceful of movement. They might
have been in conversation, these riders out of the
solitude. But all were heavily armed: And all
rode slowly, leisurely, taking their own good time,
as if this in itself was duty, with orders uncertain,

[[173]]

p172 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p173w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p174

v?