"Friends!" she exclaimed, her eyes radiant, "it's such times as these
that makes life grand! I believe six of you would be enough, but I'll
make it ten. First, I'm going to bar everyone who has a wife or
children."

"That doesn't include me, honey," hastily protested her father.

"Then you come in the next--none over thirty-five nor under twenty."

A groan arose from some of the youngsters, but the older men took
their disappointment in stolid silence. She went on with calm
decisiveness: "Now those of you that have done any considerable
mountain climbing afoot this summer, please step this way."

Two members of a recently disbanded surveying party, four punchers who
had tried their luck at prospecting on the snowy range, and three wild
horse hunters sprang forward in response to the request.

"That's enough," said the sheriff. "I've got to own up to being forty.
But I'm leading this here posse, and I'll eat my hat if I can't
outclimb anything on two legs in this county. String out your ropes,
boys, and pass over all them picket-pins. We'll need a purchase now
and again, I figure, hauling up Mr. Blake. Hustle! Here's the sun
clean up."

Under the brusquely jovial directions of their leader, the lucky nine
divested themselves of spurs and cartridge belts, tied themselves to
the line at intervals of several feet, and promptly started down the
dizzy ledges. The others helped them during the first fifty yards of
descent with the line that Isobel had drawn up after it had been cast
loose by Ashton. They then gathered along the brink, enviously
watching the descent of their companions into the shadowy abyss.

Genevieve came to where Isobel and her father crouched beside the
others. "Thomas will not let me put him down, Belle," she said. "I see
you left the glasses beside the rock. If Lafayette has reached the
bottom safely--"

"If--safely!" echoed Isobel. "Daddy, you look--quick, please!"

Knowles hastened to skirt along the brink to where the little field
glasses lay at the near side of the split rock. The two followed him,
Genevieve smiling with pleasant anticipation, Isobel trembling with
doubt and dread. The cowman stretched out on the rim shelf and peered
over.

"Um-m-m," he muttered. "Can't see anything down there. Too dark yet."

"Look straight below you," said Genevieve.

"Hey?--Uh! By--James! Well, if that ain't a picture now! These sure
are mighty fine little glasses, ma'am. I can see 'em plain as day."