And presently she came less to tremble, and did weep very easeful, even
as a babe doth weep; and I, mayhap, to be not over-steady, as you shall
think; but yet to have a great gladness set in my heart, and a triumph,
and an utter grace of thankfulness. And I held Mine Own, very tender and sure, as I did say; and she very
soon to be eased of her trouble, and the shock to be something gone from
her. And she lookt up at me, and slipt her arms upward about my neck,
and pulled me downward unto her, that she might kiss me. And we to talk then, of the going down; and surely this did seem a great
and dangerous task; for, truly, we had come upward pretty easy in the
excess of our fear; but how we might go down, with our blood cool, I did
be all in doubt. Yet, before that we did aught else, I led the Maid upward on to the safe
part of the ledge; and we sat there, very quiet and weary, and she did
be leaned against me. And we eat, each of us, two of the tablets, and I
to scold and coax Mine Own to this end, and she to obey and to be better
afterward, because that she had eat. And we drank some of the water, and
did rest a time longer. And presently, our courage and strength was come back into us; and we
packt the scrip again, and the Maid set it fast to my back; and we went
then to the edge of the shelf, and lookt downward, this way and that;
and surely, there did be no way to go, save the way we came; only that
we might shape our downward climbing to bring us a little below that
place where the dead Monster did be. And I saw by mine own heart and by the paleness of the Maid, that we
should do well that we consider the thing no more; but make to the task. And I went immediately over the edge of the shelf, upon my belly, and I
bade Naani to follow. And we began then that we go downward; and, in
verity, we went downward for, mayhap, a great hour; and I gave help
alway unto Mine Own, as I could; and she to come after me very brave,
and made that she hold back her fear, and come downward of that cliff,
that did be oft like to a mighty wall. And surely, even as we came down,
I marvelled how we did ever go upward, even though fear did aid us; but,
indeed, I do think it doth be easier to climb safely, than to come
backward; for this is how I have found. And we made rest thrice upon ledges of the cliff. And afterward came
downward again; and alway very slow and with exceeding heed where our
hands and our feet did go, that we slip not suddenly to our death. And once, as I did see, the Maid was lost of all her strength, and did
be going to fall, because that she did be all gone into a sudden
weakness of the head in an instant. And she did be silent, even in that
moment, the which doth be marvellous unto me, and to give me a strong
pride of her, as you shall understand, if that ever you have loved. And
surely, I came upward, in a moment, that little space that was between,
and had mine arm about Mine Own very swift, and held her hard and fierce
against the cliff; and this I did that she should feel how that she
could never fall; and immediately, her strength and her dear courage
came back into her; and I kist her, there against the mighty cliff; and
afterward she did have power again to come downward safe. And presently we were come to the Gorge bottom, and maybe an hundred
paces down the Gorge from that place where did be the dead Monster, all
sunk into an ugly and horrid heap, so great as a small hill. And a dreadful stinking did hang in all that part of the Gorge, by
reason of the Slug; and signs of disgust, as you shall think; and the
great and mildewed body of the thing yet to settle and twitch, as I did
look, as it did come properly unto death in all that mighty bulk. And
everywhere, the skin of the Beast did be set into great wrinklings, and
horrid blotchings to be upon the improper whiteness thereof; and truly I
did be in haste that I turn the Maid away from that thing, and that we
haste downward of the Gorge. And we went then for two good hours, and alway I did hearten the Maid,
and she to go very husht and trustful by me; but truly I did be in an
anguish of heart, because that I was newly aware that there did be such
great and dreadful serpents in that part of the Gorge, as you do also
know. And I was not over-feared for myself, but for the Maid that did
have no armour to protect her dear body. And because that I was so set
with this trouble, I took the Maid presently into mine arms, that I
carry her, and so to have her clear of aught that should lie among the
boulders. And, in verity, Mine Own did show an anger very surprising and
determined; for I said not why I should carry her--fearing to give her a
greater unease--but only that she did be weary, and I very strong and
willing. And, indeed, I could not bring her to reason, without I told her, which
was not mine intent; for she did refuse me to carry her; and said that
truly I had need of no added burden unto my labours. And when she saw that I would not be moved by her reasonings, she made
to win upon me by her loving ways; but, indeed, I only kist her; and
went forward with her in mine arms. And she half naughty, that I did be
so heedless of her wishings, and somewise hurt also; and so to be silent
in mine arms; yet mayhap to be something stirred in her nature, that I
did be steadfast to mine intention, despite that her will did be
contrary. And this I do believe to be truth, because that, afterward, I do think
that she lay there in mine arms, only as a woman that doth be in the
hands of her Master that hath all her love. And in thiswise we went forward. And in the end of the two hours that we did go, there was come the end
of the dark part of the Gorge; and we to be outward of that mighty roof
of the mountains, as I do think it to have been; and the air to be free
of the stink of the Monsters, and the fire-holes to be very plenty, and
their smokings to go upward very proper; so that we had no more the
bitterness of their fumings in our throats. And there did be a pretty good light, to go by the contrast of the past
hours; and I set Mine Own again to her feet, and made that she keep to
my rearward, so that if there did be any serpents to our path, they
should come first under my feet, and thiswise to work no harm to me,
because of mine armour, neither to Naani, Mine Own Maid. Now by this time, it was somewhat of nineteen great hours since we did
sleep; for we had been a long while making that we come safe from the
Slug; and, indeed, we had come downward with a less speed than I did go
through upon mine upward way, as you shall mind; and this to be that
Mine Own did not have the hard strength that was in my body to the
enduring of great labour and stress; and this surely all to be plain
unto you that have been with me in all my journey.