They brought them out and mounted, Masouda riding like a man and leading the mules, of which the head of one was tied to the tail of the other.

Five minutes later they were clear of Beirut, and through the solemn twilight hush, followed the road whereon they had tried the horses, towards the Dog River, three leagues away, which Masouda said they would reach by moonrise.
Soon it grew very dark, and she rode alongside of them to show them the path, but they did not talk much.

Wulf asked her who would take care of the inn while she was absent, to which she answered sharply that the inn would take care of itself, and no more.

Picking their way along the stony road at a slow amble, they crossed the bed of two streams then almost dry, till at length they heard running water sounding above that of the slow wash of the sea to their left, and Masouda bade them halt.

So they waited, until presently the moon rose in a clear sky, revealing a wide river in front, the pale ocean a hundred feet beneath them to the left, and to the right great mountains, along the face of which their path was cut.