General of a
defeated army, calling till he became hoarse, and running till he was
out of breath, vainly trying thus to stop the confusion, and to bring
the stragglers back in better order.

Meantime, Harry and Peter were far before the rest, though Edward
Ashford was following hard after them in desperate haste, as if he still
hoped to overtake their steps. Suddenly, however, a loud cry of distress
was heard over-head; and when Harry looked up, he saw so very alarming a
sight, that he could scarcely believe his eyes, and almost screamed out
himself with the fright it gave him, while he seemed to forget in a
moment, the race, Peter Grey, and the prodigious cake.

Laura had been very anxious not to trouble Harry with taking care of her
in coming down the bank again; for she saw that during all this fun
about the cake, he perfectly forgot that she was not accustomed every
day to such a scramble on the hills, and would have required some help.
After looking down every side of the descent, and thinking that each
appeared steeper than another, while they all made her equally giddy,
Laura determined to venture on a part of the hill which seemed rather
less precipitous than the rest; but it completely cheated her, being the
most difficult and dangerous part of Arthur's Seat. The slope became
steeper and steeper at every step; but Laura always tried to hope her
path might grow better, till at last she reached a place where it was
impossible to stop herself. Down she went, down! down! whether she would
or not, screaming and sliding on a long slippery bank, till she reached
the very edge of a dangerous precipice, which appeared higher than the
side of a room. Laura then grappled hold of some stones and grass,
calling loudly for help, while scarcely able to keep from falling into
the deep ravine, which would probably have killed her. Her screams were
echoed all over the hill, when Harry seeing her frightful situation,
clambered up the bank faster than any lamplighter, and immediately flew
to Laura's assistance, who was now really hanging over the chasm, quite
unable to help herself. At last he reached the place where poor Laura
lay, and seized hold of her by the frock; but for some time it seemed an
equal chance whether she dragged him into the hole, or he pulled her
away from it. Luckily, however, by a great effort, Harry succeeded in
delivering Laura, whom he placed upon a secure situation, and then,
having waited patiently ti