een easier to save than I. Plump little Miss Susie
would have floated."

Jim Airth's big laugh rang out. "And Miss Murgatroyd could have sailed
away in her cameo," he said.

Then, as if that laugh had broken the spell which held him inactive:
"Come," he cried, and drew her to the foot of the cliff; "we have not a
moment to lose! Look! Do you see the way I came down? See that long slide
in the sand? I tobogganed down there on my back. Pretty steep, and
nothing to hold to, I admit; but not so very far up, after all. And,
where my slide begins, is a blessed ledge four foot by six." He pulled
out a huge clasp-knife, opened the largest blade, and commenced hacking
steps in the face of the cliff. "We must climb," said Jim Airth.

"I have never climbed," whispered Myra's voice behind him.

"You must climb to-day," said Jim Airth.

"I could never even climb trees," whispered Myra.

"You must climb a cliff to-night. It is our only chance."

He hacked on, rapidly.

Suddenly he paused. "Show me your reach," he said. "Mine would not do.
Put your left hand there; so. Now stretch up with your right; as high as
you can, easily.... Ah! three foot six, or thereabouts. Now your left
foot close to the bottom. Step up with your right, as high as you can
comfortably.... Two foot, nine. Good! One step, more or less, might make
all the difference, by-and-by. Now listen, while I work. What a God-send
for us that there happens to be, just here, this stratum of soft sand. We
should have been done for, had the cliff been serpentine marble. You must
choose between two plans. I could scrape you a step, wider than the
rest--almost a ledge--just out of reach of the water, leaving you there,
while I go on up, and finish. Then I could return for you. You could
climb in front, I helping from below. You would feel safer. Or--you must
follow me up now, step by step, as I cut them."

"I could not wait on a ledge alone," said Myra. "I will follow you, step
by step."

"Good," said Jim Airth; "it will save time. I am afraid you must take off
your shoes and stockings. Nothing will do for this work, but naked feet.
We shall need to stick our toes into the sand, and make them cling on
like fingers."

He pulled off his own boots and stockings; then drew the belt from his
Norfolk jacket, and fastened it firmly round his left ankle in such a way
that a long end would hang down behind him as he mounted.

"See that?" he said. "When you are in the niches