be here."

"I believe he is," maintained Roy; "and we must be as quick as ever we
can. Dudley you go back in the cart and get some men to come and help. I
will stay here. How I wish we hadn't come alone!"

Left by himself, Roy did not sit down and do nothing. Clambering all
amongst the fallen earth and stone, he eagerly searched for some
crevice or opening; and at last high up in the ravine he found one. Then
lying down flat on the ground he put his mouth to the hole. "Old
Principle! Hi! Old Principle! Are you there?"

It was not fancy that a muffled voice came up to him--

"Help! I'm here!"

That gave Roy fresh strength. Eagerly he tore aside brambles and stones
with small thought of his scratched, bruised hands, and at last had the
satisfaction of viewing a hole big enough to drop his slim little body
through. Then he called again,

"Old Principle, I'm coming down from the top. Are you hurt? Can you tell
me if it is far to fall?"

And this time old Principle's voice sounded clearer:

"God help you, laddie! For I can't help you or myself. No it is not a
very big drop from where you are."

For one moment Roy looked at the dark chasm below him with hesitation,
then he murmured to himself, "If I break my other leg, I must get to
him--poor old Principle."

And then carefully and cautiously he let himself down, clinging with his
hands to a stout twig of mountain ash that bent and swayed across the
crevice with his weight.

Another moment and leaving go of the friendly branch, he dropped on damp
fresh soil, and found himself in almost total darkness. Then as his eyes
got more accustomed to it, he saw the prostrate form of old Principle
only a yard or two away from him. The old man was breathing heavily, and
his legs were completely buried under fallen earth.

"Is it Master Roy?" he said, as Roy came over and took hold of his hand;
"ay, you shouldn't have imprisoned yourself with me, laddie--I didn't
rightly think of what you were doing--I'm--I'm in such pain!"

"Are you very hurt? Oh, dear, what can I do? I can't lift you. Are your
legs broken?"

"I don't rightly know. If you could shift a little of the earth off, may
be it would ease me!"

Roy looked round and then delightedly seized hold of a small shovel.

"Your shovel is here. I'll do it," he said, cheerfully, and then to work
he went. The soil was fortunately not heavy to remove, but there was a
great quantity of it before poor old Principle's legs