to be trying to make me look at it, so that I might turn
giddy and fall.

Step by step, with a careful hold taken, and making myself determined as
I mastered my feelings of cowardice, I kept on in a fixed stolid way,
till I thought that I must be half-way along the ledge, and that now
every step would bring me nearer to safety, when, to my utter
astonishment, I found myself within a yard of Quong, who was again
seated on a block of stone, blinking thoughtfully, and ready to look up
at me and nod and smile.

A curious feeling of satisfaction came over me--that glow of pleasure
one feels at having conquered a difficulty, and instead of going on I
edged back a little, till I could stand and watch for the others coming.

To my surprise I found that Gunson was half-way across, and he hastened
his pace as he saw me there.

"Here, what is it?" he shouted, so as to make his voice heard. "Afraid
to go any further?"

"No, no; I stepped back to see Esau come along."

"Oh! He had not got both his boots off when I started."

There stood Esau plainly enough beside the Indian. His boots were tied
together by the strings, and hung about his neck, and he was watching
us.

I should have shouted at him, but my words would not have been heard,
and even if I had felt disposed to wave my hand, leaving part of my
hold, Esau could not have seen me, as Gunson was between. And still the
lad did not move.

We saw the Indian look at him and walk down toward the ledge, and it
seemed to us as if he tried to make him go by saying something, which of
course Esau could not understand in words, but he comprehended his
movements, and we saw him turn upon him angrily.

"Oh," shouted Gunson, "I wish that savage would spur him on with one of
his spears, the miserable coward!"

"He'll come directly," I shouted back. "He isn't a coward, only it
takes him a long time to make up his mind."

"He and I will have a desperate quarrel one of these days, I know. Hah!
at last," cried Gunson, for, as if desperate, Esau now stepped on to the
ledge and began to sidle along, the Indian coming close behind him.

But he made very slow progress, stopping every now and then to look down
at the water; and at such times we saw him clinging fast to the rock, as
if afraid to move afterwards. Then on again for two or three steps,
with the Indian calmly following him up and waiting his pleasure.

This went on till Esau was about half-way, when we saw him lo