“Make haste!” he rejoined. “I shall hurry down the moment you are gone, and I have disarranged the mirrors.” We ran, and reached the wooden chamber breathless. Mr. Raven seized the chains and adjusted the hood. Then he set the mirrors in their proper relation, and came beside me in front of the standing one. Already I saw the mountain range emerging from the mist. Between us, wedging us asunder, darted, with the yell of a demon, the huge bulk of the spotted leopardess. She leaped through the mirror as through an open window, and settled at once into a low, even, swift gallop. I cast a look of dismay at my companion, and sprang through to follow her. He came after me leisurely. “You need not run,” he called; “you cannot overtake her. This is our way.” As he spoke he turned in the opposite direction. “She has more magic at her finger-tips than I care to know!” he added quietly. “We must do what we can!” I said, and ran on, but sickening as I saw her dwindle in the distance, stopped, and went back to him. “Doubtless we must,” he answered. “But my wife has warned Mara, and she will do her part; you must sleep first: you have given me your word!” “Nor do I mean to break it. But surely sleep is not the first thing! Surely, surely, action takes precedence of repose!” “A man can do nothing he is not fit to do.--See! did I not tell you Mara would do her part?” I looked whither he pointed, and saw a white spot moving at an acute angle with the line taken by the leopardess. “There she is!” he cried. “The spotted leopardess is strong, but the white is stronger!” “I have seen them fight: the combat did not appear decisive as to that.” “How should such eyes tell which have never slept? The princess did not confess herself beaten--that she never does--but she fled! When she confesses her last hope gone, that it is indeed hard to kick against the goad, then will her day begin to dawn! Come; come! He who cannot act must make haste to sleep!” CHAPTER XXXI. THE SEXTON’S OLD HORSE I stood and watched the last gleam of the white leopardess melt away, then turned to follow my guide--but reluctantly. What had I to do with sleep? Surely reason was the same in every world, and what reason could there be in going to sleep with the dead, when the hour was calling the live man? Besides, no one would wake me, and how could I be certain of waking early--of waking at all?--the sleepers in that house let morning glide into noon, and noon into night, nor ever stirred! I murmured, but followed, for I knew not what else to do.