quake comes
it'll let me drop; and perhaps the ground may be a full dozen feet
below."

By this time Frank had reached the edge of the drop. He remembered
skirting it in climbing upward just a minute before; but had been more
successful about doing so than Bob, who was less accustomed to this
kind of work.

Frank again had recourse to his handy match-safe. Leaning over he
struck a match on the face of the rock. Immediately he drew a quick
breath. It was not because he could see the face of his chum only a
couple of feet away, as the latter clung to a spur of rocks; it was
something else that thrilled him.

As far down as his eyes could see there was only a black void! Instead
of the simple dozen feet mentioned by Bob, the yawning precipice
extended perhaps a full hundred feet downward!

But there was no need of telling Bob that it might alarm the boy and
cause him to weaken, so that his grip would give way.

Frank was quick to understand what must be done. He could just touch
the hand of his chum by bending far down; but that was not enough.
Instantly he wrapped one leg about a sturdy, if dwarfed, little cedar
that chanced to grow at that very spot, as if designed for the very
purpose to which he was putting it. Then he was able to thrust himself
still further down the face of the wall.

"Take hold, and grip like iron, Bob," he managed to say.

He felt the other obeying him, and thus they caught hold of hands.

"Now, try and dig your toes into the face of the wall if you can,"
Frank went on, calmly, so far as Bob could know. "It'll help me get
you up. Climb over me. I've got a leg around a cedar, and nothing can
break away. Now!"

"Say, perhaps you'd better let me drop down." said Bob, thinking his
comrade was going to unnecessary trouble in order to save him from a
little jolt.

"Climb, I tell you!" snapped Frank.

"Oh! all right, Frank, if you say so," and Bob started to obey.

Fortunately he was an agile lad, and a very fair climber, for the task
which he had set himself was no ordinary one. But, by wriggling more
or less, Bob managed to finally get a grip on the cedar. After that it
was easy work; and having succeeded in reaching solid ground himself,
he aided the almost exhausted Frank to draw back.

"Whew! that was some work, now, and all because I was so silly as to
slip over the edge of that little hole!" remarked Bob, as though
disgusted with himself.

"Look here," said his chum;