The smoke was drifting away under a light west wind over the far plains, so that they were seen through a haze of opal.
Laputa bade me take the lead.

I saw quite clear the red kloof on the far side, where the collar was hid.

To get there we might have ridden straight into the cup, but a providential instinct made me circle round the top till we were on the lip of the ravine.

This was the road some of Machudi's men had taken, and unthinkingly I followed them.

Twenty minutes' riding brought us to the place, and all the while I had no kind of plan of escape.