To her surprise she could see a long way.

A shooting-star electrified her.
The men were listening.

She listened, too, but beyond the slight sounds about the stage she heard nothing.

Presently the driver clucked to his horses, and travel was resumed.
For a while the stage rolled on rapidly, evidently downhill, swaying from side to side, and rattling as if about to fall to pieces.

Then it slowed on a level, and again it halted for a few moments, and once more in motion it began a laborsome climb.