at. He knows how to make himself fast."

"Think so?" said Joe, hoarsely; and he felt the hands which held the
rope grow wet.

"Nay, don't want no thinking, my lad. He'll manage all right."

"He has," cried Joe, excitedly. "Do you feel? He's signalling for us
to haul him up."

For three sharp tugs were given at the rope.

"Ay, that means all right," said Hardock. "Now you hold on tight."

"I can't haul him all alone."

"Nay, not you. Nobody wants you to try; I only want you to hold while I
get ready. It wouldn't do to let one end go loose, would it?"

As he spoke Hardock relinquished his hold of the rope, and began to
strip off his jacket.

"What are you going to do? You're not going down, Sam?"

"You wait a bit: you'll see," said the man; and he folded his coat into
a large pad, which he laid over the edge of the rock. "Now you lay the
rope on that, my lad, and give me the end. That's the way; now it won't
be cut."

"When we haul it over the rock? No; I see."

"But we aren't going to haul it over the rock," said Hardock, nodding
his head. "I'll show you a way worth two of that."

He took the end and pulled it over, and made a loop, leaving just enough
free line for the purpose; and slipping it over one shoulder and across
his breast diagonally, he stood ready.

Meanwhile jerk after jerk was given to the rope, each signal which
reached Joe's hands making him thrill with eagerness.

"There, he must be ready now," growled Hardock.

"Ready? Yes," cried the boy, impatiently. "Then you are going to walk
away with the rope?"

"Ay, that's it; draw steadily as I go right along the Hog's Back. All
right. Look out," he shouted as the word "Haul!" reached their ears.
"There, you stand fast, my lad, ready to help him when he comes up to
the edge. Now then--off!"

Hardock, who stood with his back now to the cliff edge, started off at a
slow steady walk inland, and Joe dropped upon his breast and craned his
neck over the edge of the precipice to watch the block below which hid
his comrade from his sight.

But not for many moments now. All at once Gwyn's head appeared, then
his chest, and his arms were busy as he seemed to be helping himself
over the rock; and the next minute, as Hardock steadily walked away, the
boy was hanging clear of the rock face, swinging to and fro and slowly
turning round, suggesting that the layers of the rope were beginning to
untwist.

To use a familiar expression,