come from, they saw that the man
whom Pedro had ridden down was hanging over the abyss by the boughs of a
small shrub. His steed lay mangled on the rocks of the river bank at
the bottom. There was an agonised expression in the man's countenance
which would have touched a heart much less soft than that of Lawrence
Armstrong. Evidently the man's power of holding on was nearly
exhausted, and he could not repress a shriek at the prospect of the
terrible death which seemed so imminent.

Being a practised mountaineer, Lawrence at once, without thought of
personal danger, and moved only by pity, slipped over the crags, and,
descending on one or two slight projections, the stability of which even
a Swiss goat might have questioned, reached the bush. A look of fierce
and deadly hate was on the robber's face, for, judging of others by
himself, he thought, no doubt, that his enemy meant to hasten his
destruction.

"Here, catch hold--I'll save you!" cried Lawrence, extending his strong
right hand.

A glance of surprise told that he was understood. The bandit let go the
hold of one of his hands and made a convulsive grasp at his rescuer.
Their fingers touched, but at the same moment the branch gave way, and,
with a cry of wild despair, the wretched man went headlong down.

Not, however, to destruction. The effort he had made threw him slightly
to one side of the line which his horse had taken in its fall. The
difference was very slight indeed, yet it sufficed to send him towards
another bush lower down the cliff. Still, the height he had to fall
would have ensured the breaking of all his bones if the bush had not
hurled him off with a violent rebound.

Lawrence almost felt giddy with horror. Next moment a heavy plunge was
heard. The man had fallen into a deep dark pool in the river, which was
scarce distinguishable from the cliffs above. Being fringed with
bushes, it was impossible to note whether he rose again. Lawrence was
still gazing anxiously at the pool, when something touched his cheek.
It was a lasso which Pedro had quietly dropped over his shoulders.

"Hold fast to it, senhor, you'll never get up without it," he said, in
tones so earnest that the youth became suddenly alive to the great
danger of his position. In the haste and anxiety of his descent he had
failed to note that one or two of the slight projections on which he had
placed his feet had broken away, and that therefore a return to the top
of t