The trees were perhaps fifteen or twenty deep from the river's' edge. Theydismounted, removed the saddles, and hobbled the beasts again. Then they walkedthrough the tall cane-like plants, brushing away the flies and other pestiferousinsects, until they got to the stream itself. Here grew stands of high reeds,and on a hummock of spongy earth was Smhee's boat. It was a dugout which couldhold only two.
'Stole it,' Smhee said without offering any details.
She looked through the reeds down the river. About a quarter of a mile away, theriver broadened to become a lake about two and a half miles .across. In itscentre was the Isle of Shugthee, a purplish mass of rock. From this distance,she could not make out its details.
Seeing it, she felt coldness ripple over her.
'I'd like to take a whole day and a night to scout it,' he said. 'So you couldbecome familiar with it, too. But we don't have time. However, I can tell youeverything I know. I wish I knew more.'
She doffed her clothes and bathed in the river while Smhee unhobbled the horsesand took them some distance up to let them drink. When she came back, she foundhim just returning with them.
'Before dusk comes, we'll have to move them down to a point opposite the isle,'he said. 'And we'll saddle them, too.'
They left the horses to go to a big boulder outside the trees but distant fromthe road. At its base was a hollow large enough for them to lie down in. Herethey slept, waking now and then to talk softly or to eat a bite or to go behindthe'rock and urinate. The insects weren't so numerous here as in the trees, butthey were bad enough.-
Not once, as far as they knew, did anyone pass on the road.
When they walked the horses down the road, Smhee said, 'You've been very good