mentum and finally taking along with it into the
water a small tree that grew out from the mountain about half way down.
In their eagerness to see the splash they went too near to the edge, and
the ground began to give way beneath them. Bob, as usual, was the first
to act. He bumped Bill back with his shoulder and then caught Pud's coat
just as it was disappearing. Bill, quick-witted also, rushed to his
assistance, and between them they hauled Pud back, though all three were
on the ground and nearly over the edge before the two could stop the
heavy Pud. A yell from the opposite shore told them that Mr. Waterman
and Mr. Anderson had seen their predicament. Bob and Bill held on and
slowly pulled Pud up to them. When all three at last arose, probably
only a minute later, they were bathed in perspiration, as they had all
been under a terrible physical strain.

"That was a close shave," said Pud, as he walked over to the edge to
look down.

"Come back, you crazy Indian. Don't you know that it was your weight
that caused the trouble before, and there you are, trying to tempt fate
again," said Bob.

"You're right, fellows. I'm some ungrateful cuss. I've not even thanked
you for saving my precious neck."

"Don't thank me. Thank Bob," said Bill. "He pushed me back and then
caught you just as you were preparing to take a high dive that would
have made Steve Brodie look like a piker. Thank Bob. He's always there
with the presence of mind stuff when it's needed."

"Not a bit of it, Pud," said Bob. "Bill is too modest. If he hadn't
caught me in time, you would have pulled me over the edge, so you see we
both owe our lives to him."

"I guess it's up to me to do all the thanking, for if you had not
grabbed my coat, you would not have been in any danger yourself."

"Well, let's forget it, fellows," said Bob.

Just then they heard a voice from the water, and they looked down to see
their two leaders in a canoe.

"We're all right," yelled Pud.

"Don't go near the edge," yelled Mr. Waterman. "It's dangerous."

"All right," yelled Bob. "We're coming right down, so don't worry."

They found the two men waiting for them when they reached their canoe at
the bottom of the cliff. Explanations were in order.

"We saw it all," said Mr. Waterman, "for when that rock started down
that cliff it made such a racket that we rushed down to the shore. We
felt like yelling at you to get back, but just as the thought occurred
to us, we saw