ugh which made Nic shudder; but he mastered
his shrinking and said: "Tell me: which is the proper way down?"

"They say there is no way down."

"What! is it so dangerous?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean to tell me that we could not get down to that beautiful
place below?"

"The regular way is to go as the sheep and cattle do sometimes. They
get grazing too close, and slip and fall. Most of them are killed, but
some fall from shelf to shelf and get over it. Look!"

He caught Nic by the shoulder, roughly pressed him nearer the edge, and
pointed with one hand.

Nic's heart began to beat heavily, but he drew a deep breath and would
not shrink.

"Well?" he said, after a pause. "I'm looking. What at?"

"Can't you see sheep down below, and quite a drove of bullocks?"

"No," said Nic: "my eyes are not used to it--yours are."

"Yes, mine are," said the man. "Those were your father's cattle and
sheep, and some of Dillon's from the next station, and other people's
from farther still; and now they belong to nature. Don't you think your
father is a fool to come and live where he loses his stock down a trap
like that?"

"No, I don't," said Nic haughtily, for the man repelled him. "I think
he was very wise to come and live in the most beautiful place I ever
saw."

"I don't," said the man, laughing curiously, as if it hurt him and gave
him pain. "I think the place hideous. Well, you want to go down," he
continued, tightening his grip and showing his teeth as he thrust Nic
forward. "There, I have only to give you one push and down you go; but
you wouldn't see anything when you got down."

"Because it would kill me," said Nic quietly.

"Yes; and your old man would set us all to hunt for you, and one of the
blacks would make you out at last, lying right at the bottom."

"And fetch me up," said Nic, without flinching, but with the cold
perspiration standing out on his forehead and in the palms of his hands.

"No, even they couldn't get down to you; and your father would come
every day with his glass to watch you till the birds and the ants had
left nothing but your bones to whiten there, as the bones of bullocks
have before now. Well, shall I throw you down? You asked me to show
you the way."

"No, thank you," said Nic quietly.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because you, a strong man, wouldn't be so murderous. And because I
never did you any harm."

"No," said the man, drawing him back from the brink, and looking hi