Jem, after a glance below them at the sheer
precipice.

"Then I had better drop."

"If you do you will knock me to the bottom, so just you hold on till I
tells you."

Jem kept up his jocular way of speaking; but if any one could have
looked on, he would have seen that his face was curiously mottled with
sallow, while his hands were trembling when at liberty, and that there
was a curiously wild, set look in his eyes.

"There, Mas' Don," he said cheerily, as he finished climbing sidewise
till he was exactly beneath. "Now, one moment. That's it."

As he spoke he drew himself up a little, taking fast hold of the stem of
a bush, and of a projecting stone, while he found foot-hold in a wide
crevice.

"Now then, rest your foot on my shoulders. There you are. That's the
way. Two heads is better than one."

"Can you bear my weight, Jem?"

"Can I bear your weight? Why? You may stand there for a week. Now
just you rest your wristies a bit, and then go on climbing down, just as
if I warn't here."

The minute before Don had felt that he could bear the strain no longer.
Now the despairing sensation which came over him had gone, his heart
felt lighter as he stood on Jem's shoulders, and sought another hold for
his hands lower down. The wild, fluttering pulsation ceased, and he
grew composed.

"I'm rested now, Jem," said Don.

"Of course you are, my lad. Well, then, now you can climb down aside
me. 'Tarn't so much farther to the bottom."

"Can you reach out far enough for me to come between you and the rock?"

"Just you try, Mas' Don."

By this time Don had found a fresh hold for his feet; and nerving
himself, he descended slowly, Jem forcing himself out, so that there was
enough room for any one to pass; but as Don cleared him, and got right
below, the bush to which Jem clung with one hand came slowly out of the
interstices of the stones, and but for the exercise of a large amount of
muscular power and rigidity of will, he would have swung round and
fallen headlong.

"I'm all right now, Jem!" cried Don from below.

"Glad of it, my lad," muttered Jem, "because I arn't."

"Come along down now."

"How, Mas' Don?" said Jem grimly.

"The same way as I did."

"Oh! All right; but the bush I held on by is gone."

"Well take hold of another."

"Just you get from under me, Mas' Don."

"Why? What do you mean?"

"I'm too heavy to ketch like a cricket ball. That's all, my lad."

"Oh, Jem, don't say