There was one way to get
across to the ledge of the fault. He took hold of the two ends of the
belt, crouched, and leaned forward on tiptoes toward the knob. The loop
of the belt slid over the ice-coated boss. There was no chance to draw
back now, to test the hold he had gained. If the leather slipped he was
lost. His body swung across the abyss and his feet landed on the little
ledge beyond.

His shout of success came perhaps ten minutes later. "I've reached
the stairway, Miss O'Neill. I'll try not to be long, but you'd better
exercise to keep up the circulation. Don't worry, please. I'll be back
before night."

"I'm so glad," she cried joyfully. "I was afraid for you. And I'll not
worry a bit. Good-bye."

Elliot made his way up to the summit and ran along a footpath which
brought him to a bridge across the mountain stream just above the falls.
The trail zigzagged down the turbulent little river close to the bank.
Before he had specialized on the short distances Gordon had been a
cross-country runner. He was in fair condition and he covered the ground
fast.

About a mile below the falls he met two men. One of them was Colby
Macdonald. He carried a coil of rope over one shoulder. The big
Alaskan explained that he had not been able to get it out of his
head that perhaps the climbers who had waved at his party had been in
difficulties. So he had got a rope from the cabin of an old miner and
was on his way back to the falls.

The three climbed to the falls, crossed the bridge, and reached the top
of the cliff.

"You know the lay of the land down there, Mr. Elliot. We'll lower you,"
decided Macdonald, who took command as a matter of course.

Gordon presently stood beside Sheba on the little plateau. She had
quite recovered from the touch of hysteria that had attacked her courage.
The wind and the rain had whipped the color into her soft cheeks, had
disarranged a little the crinkly, blue-black hair, wet tendrils of which
nestled against her temples. The health and buoyancy of the girl were in
the live eyes that met his eagerly.

"You weren't long," was all she said.

"I met them coming," he answered as he dropped the loop of the rope over
her head and arranged it under her shoulders.

He showed her how to relieve part of the strain of the rope on her flesh
by using her hands to lift.

"All ready?" Macdonald called from above.

"All ready," Elliot answered. To Sheba he said, "Hold tight."

The girl was swun