rrid noise." She suppressed a shudder.
"Have they gone now?"

"Yes, the brutes! They scooted. I'm going after them directly."

"Oh, please don't!" she said hastily. "Not for the world! I don't want to
be left alone here. I've had enough of it."

She tried to smile with the words, but it was rather a trembling attempt.
He abandoned his intention at once.

"All right. It'll keep. Look here, shall I help you up? You'll feel
better on the top."

"I think I had better stay here for a minute," Juliet said. "I--I'm
afraid I shall make an idiot of myself if I don't."

"No, you won't. You'll be all right." He thrust an abrupt arm around her
shoulders, gripping them hard to still her trembling. "Lean against me!
I've got you quite safe."

She relaxed with a murmur of thanks. There was something intensely
reassuring about that firm grip. She sat quite motionless for a space
with closed eyes, gradually regaining her self-command.

In the end a snuffle and whine from above aroused her. She sat up
with a start.

"Oh, Columbus! Don't let him fall over!"

Her companion laughed a little. "Let's get back to him then! Don't look
down! Keep your face to the cliff! And remember I've got hold of you! You
can't fall."

She struggled blindly to her feet, helped by his arm behind her; but,
though she did not look down, she was seized immediately by an
overwhelming giddiness that made her totter back against him.

"I'm dreadfully sorry," she said, almost in tears. "I can't help it. I'm
an idiot."

He held her up with unfailing steadiness. "All right! All right!" he
said. "Don't get frightened! Move along slowly with me! Keep your face to
the cliff, and you'll come to some steps! That's the way! Yes, we've got
to get round that jutting-out bit. It's perfectly safe. Keep your head!
It's quite easy on the other side."

It might be perfectly safe for a practised climber, but Juliet's heart
was in her mouth when she reached the projecting corner of cliff where
the ledge narrowed to a bare eighteen inches and the rock bulged outwards
as if to push off all trespassers.

She came to a standstill, clinging desperately to the unyielding stone.
"I can't possibly do it," she said helplessly.

"Yes, you can. You've got to." Quick as lightning came the words. "Go on
and don't be silly! Of course you can do it! A child could."

He loosened her clutching fingers with the words, and pushed her onwards.
She went, driven by a force such as sh