his way to
the spot where it stood, and then, removing his jacket, and knotting the
sleeves round his neck, he, with a seaman's readiness of invention,
converted it into a sort of bag, which he rapidly filled to its utmost
capacity with the cool, ripe, refreshing juicy fruit. With this he
hurried back to the inmates of the cave, and, laying it before them,
bade them eat freely, returning himself to the bush, since it lay
exactly in the way he intended to take, to satisfy the cravings of his
own appetite.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE FUGITIVES MAKE GOOD THEIR ESCAPE.

Having partaken of as much of the fruit as he deemed prudent, George at
once betook himself to the task of climbing the precipice, and was
agreeably surprised at the rapidity and ease with which he accomplished
the ascent. Now that he was unencumbered with Walford's weight, and was
free from the horrible dread which had before haunted him--that a false
step on Tom's part might precipitate all hands to the bottom--his
confidence in his own powers enabled him to coolly approach and
successfully surmount obstacles which, under less favourable conditions,
he would have dreaded to face, and in a few minutes he was within a foot
or two of the top.

Here he deemed it prudent to pause for a moment and survey the path by
which he had ascended, so that, in the event of danger, he might be able
to effect a rapid retreat. The glance downward which he permitted
himself to take, though only momentary, brought on again, though happily
only in a mitigated degree, the same feeling of vertigo and nausea from
which he had before suffered; and he was obliged to close his eyes for a
short time, clinging convulsively to the rock meanwhile, to avoid
falling headlong to the bottom.

Having at length once more recovered his steadiness, he rose cautiously
higher and higher, until his head was level with the top edge of the
precipice, and then he ventured to raise his head rapidly, cast a flying
glance round, and dip it again. But the latter precaution was needless;
the ground still sloped upward, so that he could see for a distance of
some forty yards only, but all the visible space was perfectly clear;
there was no human eye to detect his presence there. Once more raising
his head, and this time taking a more leisurely and deliberate glance
round, to make assurance doubly sure, he proceeded to make his way up
over the edge on to the comparatively level ground at the top.