ound the trunk of a small tree.

Presently we perceived by its jerking, that Rube had begun his ascent.

Shortly after, we could hear him sprawling and scratching upward, and
then his thin dark form loomed over the edge of the cliff, and, dead
beat for breath, he staggered silently into the bushes beside us. Even
in the darkness I noticed something peculiar in his appearance: his head
looked smaller, but I had no time to question him.

We waited only for another glance at the guerrilleros; they were still
at their posts, evidently unconscious of our movements. Rube's cat-skin
cap, cunningly adjusted upon the boulder, satisfied them that we were
still at ours; and explained, moreover, the oddness I had observed about
the upper story of the trapper.

Rube had now recovered wind; and gathering up the rope, we stole away
over the table-summit to search for a place of descent.

On reaching the opposite side, we at once found what we wanted--a tree
near the edge of the cliff. Many small pines grew upon the escarpment;
and selecting one, we knotted the rope securely around its trunk.

There was yet much to be done before any of us could attempt the
descent. We knew that the cliff was more than a hundred feet in
vertical height, and to glide down a rope of that length is a trying
feat, worthy the most expert of tars. None of us might be able to
accomplish it: the first could be lowered down easily enough, and this
was our intention; so might the second; but the last would have to glide
down the rope without aid.

We were not long delayed by the contemplation of this obstacle: my
comrades were men of quick thought; and a plan to get over the
difficulty soon suggested itself.

Their knives were out in a trice: a sapling was procured, and cut into
short pieces; these were notched, and tied at intervals along the rope.
Our "Jacob's ladder" was ready.

It still remained to make sure that the rope was of sufficient length.
The knots had somewhat shortened it; but this point was soon settled,
with like ingenuity.

A small stone was tied to one end, and then dropped over the cliff.

We listened: we heard the dull "thump" of the stone upon the prairie
turf. The rope therefore reached to the ground.

It was again drawn up, the stone taken out, and the noose fastened
around the body of Rube, under his armpits. He was the lightest, and
for this reason had been chosen to make the first descent, as he would
least try the