him from
the other side of the gorge, when suddenly he lost his footing, fell,
slipped further and further down the ledge of rock which is as smooth
as glass, and disappeared forever in the seething rapids of the Maan.

Was this rash traveler about to meet a similar fate?

It seemed only too probable; and in fact he soon perceived the danger
of his position, though not until it was too late. Suddenly his foot
slipped, he uttered a cry, and after rolling nearly twenty feet, he
finally succeeded in securing a hold upon a projecting rock on the
very edge of the abyss.

Joel and Hulda, though they had not yet caught sight of him, heard his
cry.

"What is that?" exclaimed Joel, springing to his feet.

"A cry!" replied Hulda.

"Yes, a cry of distress."

"From what direction did it come?"

"Let us listen."

Both looked first to the right, and then to the left of the fall, but
they saw nothing, though they had certainly heard the words "Help!
help!" uttered during one of the intervals between each rebound of the
Rjukan.

The cry was repeated.

"Joel, some one who is in danger is calling for help," cried Hulda.
"We must go to his aid."

"Yes, sister; and he can not be far off. But in what direction? Where
is he? I see no one."

Hulda hastily climbed a little knoll behind the mossy rock upon which
she had been sitting.

"Joel!" she cried, suddenly.

"Do you see him?"

"There, there!"

As she spoke she pointed to the imprudent man whose body seemed to
be almost overhanging the abyss. If his foothold upon a tiny ledge of
rock failed him, or he was seized with dizziness, he was lost.

"We must save him!" said Hulda.

"Yes," replied Joel, "if we can keep our wits about us we shall
perhaps be able to reach him."

Joel gave a loud shout to attract the attention of the traveler,
who immediately turned his head toward the spot from which the sound
proceeded; then the worthy fellow devoted a few moments to deciding
how he could best rescue the stranger from his dangerous position.

"You are not afraid, are you, Hulda?" he asked.

"No, brother."

"You know the Maristien well, do you not?"

"I have crossed it several times."

"Then walk along the brow of the cliff, gradually getting as near the
traveler as you possibly can; then allow yourself to slide down
gently toward him, and take him by the hand, so as to prevent him
from falling any further; but do not let him try to lift himself up,
because if he