ew hundred feet wide sloped gently down to the
river, from whose farther bank a precipice sprang upward for perhaps
a thousand feet--merging into towering hills whose rugged grandeur was
reminiscent of the topography of the moon. At their backs the wall of
the gorge was steep, but not precipitous, and was covered with shrubs
and trees--some of which leaned out over the little canyon, completely
screening it, and among whose branches birds could now and then be seen
flitting about. In that direction no mountains were visible, indicating
that upon their side of the river there was an upland plateau or bench.
To their right the river, the gorge, and the strip of meadow extended
for a mile or more, then curved away and were lost to sight. To their
left, almost too close for comfort, was the stupendous cataract,
towering above them to a terror-inspiring height. Nadia studied it
with awe, which changed to puzzled wonder.

"What's the matter with it, Steve? It looks like a picture in slow
motion, like the kind they take of your dives--or am I seeing things?"

"No, it's really slow, compared to what we're used to. Remember that
one-half gravity stuff!"

"Oh, that's right, but it certainly does look funny. It gives me the
creeps."

"You'll get used to it pretty quick--just as you'll get used to all the
rest of the things having only half their earthly weight and falling
only half as fast as they ought to when you drop them. Well, I don't see
anything that looks dangerous yet--let's go up toward the falls a few
meters and prospect that outcrop."

With a few brisk strokes of an improvised shovel he cleared the outcrop
of detritus and broke off several samples of the black substance, with
which they went back to the "Forlorn Hope."

"It's real coal," Stevens announced after a series of tests. "I've seen
better, but on the other hand, there's lots worse. It'll make good gas,
and a kind of a coke. Not so hot, but it'll do. Now we'd better get
organized old partner, for a long campaign."

"Go ahead and organize--I'm only the cheap help in this enterprise."

"Cheap help! You're apt to be the life of the party. Can you make and
shoot a bow and arrow?"

"I'll say I can--I've belonged to an archery club for five years."

"What did I tell you? You're a life saver! Here's the dope--we've got
to save our own supplies as much as possible until we know exactly what
we're up against, and to do that, we've got to live off the country.