upon quiver; then there was a loud rushing sound, and I threw myself
down clinging with my hands, for a great piece of the edge right up to
where I sat had given way and gone down, leaving me with my legs hanging
over the edge, and but for my sudden effort I should have fallen.

"What was that?" cried a voice some distance above me.

"It is I, Uncle Bob," I panted. "Come and help me."

I heard a fierce drawing in of the breath, and then a low crawling
sound, and little bits of stone seemed to be moved close by me.

"Where are you, boy?" came again.

"Here."

"Can you crawl to me? I'm close by your head."

"No," I gasped. "If I move I'm afraid I shall fall."

There was the same fierce drawing in of the breath, the crawling sound
again, and a hand touched my face, passed round it, and took a tight
hold of my collar.

"Lie quite still, Cob," was whispered; "I'm going to draw you up. Now!"

I felt myself dragged up suddenly, and at the same moment the earth and
stones upon which I had been lying dropped from under me with a loud
hissing rushing sound, and then I was lying quite still, clinging to
Uncle Bob's hand, which was very wet and cold.

"How did you come there?" he said at length.

"Crawled there, trying to get to you," I said.

"And nearly went down that fearful precipice, you foolish fellow. But
there: you are safe."

"I did not know it was so dangerous," I faltered.

"Dangerous!" he cried. "It is awful in this horrible darkness. The
mountain seems to have been cut in half somewhere about here, and this
fog confuses so that it is impossible to stir. We must wait till it
blows off I think we are safe now, but I dare not try to find a better
place. Dare you?"

"Not after what I have just escaped from," I said dolefully.

"Are you cold?"

"Ye-es," I said with a shiver. "It is so damp."

"Creep close to me, then," he said. "We shall keep each other warm."

We sat like that for hours, and still the fog kept as dense as ever,
only that overhead there was a faint light, which grew stronger and then
died out over and over again. The stillness was awful, but I had a
companion, and that made my position less painful. He would not talk,
though as a rule he was very bright and chatty; now he would only say,
"Wait and see;" and we waited.

The change came, after those long terrible hours of anxiety, like magic.
One moment it was thick darkness; the next I felt, as it were, a
feather brus