alk now."

"Zee vidow is our only chanze.--Hold up, mein vrow," said Scholtz,
taking a firmer grasp of his wife, who, having leisure to think and look
about her now, felt her heart begin to fail. "I know zee road vell,"
continued Scholtz. "It is bad, but I have zeen vurse. Ve must carry
zee vimen. Zey could not valk."

As the women made no objection, those who had carried them from the
house again raised them in their arms--Mrs Scholtz insisting, however,
on being treated a little less like a sack of old clothes--and the march
along the hill-side was begun.

George Dally, knowing the way best, was set in advance to take the
responsibility of guide as well as the risk of being swept away while
fording the torrents. The brothers Skyd, being free from precious
burdens, marched next, to be ready to support the guide in case of
accident, and to watch as well as guard the passage of dangerous places
by those in rear. Then followed in succession Mr Brook with his wife,
Charlie Considine, Hans with Gertie, and Scholtz with his vrow, the
procession closing with Frank Dobson and Junkie, the latter having been
transferred to Frank when Dally took the lead.

It was a slow as well as dangerous march on that dreary night, because
every step had to be taken with care, and the rivulets, white though
they were with foam, could scarcely be seen in the thick darkness. Many
a fall did they get, too, and many a bruise, though fortunately no bones
were broken. Once George Dally, miscalculating the depth of a savage
little stream, stepped boldly in and was swept away like a flash of
light. Jack Skyd made a grasp at him, lost his balance and followed.
For a moment the others stopped in consternation, but they were
instantly relieved by hearing a laugh from George a few yards down the
stream as he assisted Skyd to land. At another time Scholtz was not
careful enough to follow exactly in the footsteps of Hans, and, while
crossing a torrent, he put his foot in a deep hole and went down to the
armpits, thereby immersing his vrow up to her neck. A wild shriek from
the lady was followed by "Zounds! hold me op!" from the man.

Hans turned short round, stretched out his long right arm--the left
being quite sufficient to support Gertie,--and, seizing the German's
shaggy hair with a mighty grip, held on till one of the Skyds returned
to the rescue.

It was also a melancholy march on that dismal night, for poor Edwin
Brook was well awar