rn from it and flung into the abyss below, or beaten to a frightful
death against the jagged rocks in the transit.

"But not ef the chair war ter be steadied by a guy-rope from--say--from
that thar old pine tree over thar," Kennedy insisted, indicating the
long bole of a partially uprooted and inverted tree on the steeps. "The
chair would swing cl'ar of the bluff then."

"But, Jube, it is onpossible ter git a guy-rope over ter that
tree,--more than a man's life is wuth ter try it."

A moment ensued of absolute silence,--space, however, for a hard-fought
battle.

The aspect of that mad world below, with every condition of creation
reversed; a mistake in the adjustment of the winch and gear by the
excited, reluctant, disapproving men; an overstrain on the fibres of the
long-used rope; a slip on the treacherous ice; the dizzy whirl of the
senses that even a glance downward at those drear depths set astir in
the brain,--all were canvassed within his mental processes, all were
duly realized in their entirety ere he said with a spare dull voice and
dry lips,--

"Fix ter let me down ter that thar leanin' pine, boys,--I'll kerry a
guy-rope over thar."

At one side the crag beetled, and although it was impossible thence to
reach the cabin with a rope it would swing clear of obstructions here,
and might bring the rescuer within touch of the pine, where could be
fastened the guy-rope; the other end would be affixed to the chair which
could be lowered to the cabin only from the rugged face of the cliff.
Kennedy harbored no self-deception; he more than doubted the outcome of
the enterprise. He quaked and turned pale with dread as with the great
rope knotted about his arm-pits and around his waist he was swung over
the brink at the point where the crag jutted forth,--lower and lower
still; now nearing the slanting inverted pine, caught amidst the debris
of earth and rock; now failing to reach its boughs; once more swinging
back to a great distance, so did the length of the rope increase the
scope of the pendulum; now nearing the pine again, and at last fairly
lodged on the icy bole, knotting and coiling about it the end of the
guy-rope, on which he had come and on which he must needs return.

It seemed, through the inexpert handling of the little group, a long
time before the stout arm-chair was secured to the cables, slowly
lowered, and landed at last on the outside of the hut. Many an anxious
glance was cast at the slate-gr