He felt that he should first search for these horses.
Their legs aren't suited for traversing mountains, so they must have come through the valley. To find them, one should follow the valley's path.
Sure enough, they saw a valley about a mile wide running north to south.
The eleven of them walked along this valley.
They saw a clear stream. Nearby lived monkeys and a type of deer with very short front legs.
They could see hoofprints of those small horses.
A primitive person gestured to Ma Lin to express his thoughts:
This type of short-legged horse is suited for life on the grasslands, so south of the valley must be a prairie.
Ma Lin agreed.
If this is true, they have found a way to cross Mount Jinshui.
It was indeed very hidden.
They saw the small short-legged horses from afar, but it was hard to close the distance.
At night, when they camped, Ma Lin felt the wind blowing from the south.
It was warm and humid, carrying the scent of grass.
