ly grew more
strained.

It was when the tension between Butler on the one hand and the peons on
the other had developed to such an extent that the labourers had been
goaded into a state of almost open mutiny, that the former set out as
usual, on horseback, one morning, accompanied by a half-dozen of the new
hands, to seek for and stake out a few miles farther of practicable
route. Such a duty as this he usually contrived to complete in time to
return to the camp for lunch, after which he was wont to saunter out
along the line until he encountered Harry, when he would spend the
remainder of the day in making the poor lad's life a burden to him by
finding fault with everything he did, frequently insisting upon having
some particularly awkward and difficult piece of work done over again.
Consequently the progress of the survey was abnormally and
exasperatingly slow; and when, upon the day in question, Butler failed
to put in an appearance on the scene of operations, young Escombe's
first feeling was one of gratification, for he was just then engaged
upon an exceptionally difficult task which he was most anxious to
complete without being interfered with. So absorbed was the lad in his
work that he had not much thought to spare for speculation as to the
reason for so unusual a piece of good luck, although it is true that, as
the afternoon wore on, he did once or twice permit himself to wonder
whether "perchance" he had to thank a slight touch of indisposition, or
possibly a sprained ankle, for this unexpected and most welcome freedom
from interruption. But when at length, upon his arrival in camp at the
conclusion of his day's survey work, he learned, to his astonishment,
that neither Butler nor his party of peons had returned, the impression
forced itself upon him that something serious had happened, and
mustering afresh his own gang of tired and hungry assistants, and
providing them with lanterns, ropes, and other aids to a search, he led
them forth along the survey line in quest of the absent ones.

For a distance of nearly two miles from the camp the route of the
missing party was easily followed, being marked by stakes at frequent
intervals, indicating the line chosen by Butler as that to be surveyed
by Escombe. It ended at the foot of a precipitous slope of bare rock
towering aloft some seven or eight hundred feet, with further heights
beyond it. Here the searchers were brought to an abrupt halt, for Harry
was f