zen feet. This had
hollowed out the basin. Where he sat the water was two feet deep, and
it was flush with the rim. He peered over the rim and looked down the
narrow chasm hundreds of feet to the torrent that foamed along the
bottom.

"Oh, why did you?" he heard a wail from above.

"Listen," he called up. "I'm perfectly safe, sitting in a pool of water
up to my neck. And here's both our packs. I'm going to sit on them.
There's room for a half-dozen here. If you slip, stick close and
you'll land. In the meantime you hike up and get out. Go to the cabin.
Somebody's there. I saw the smoke. Get a rope, or anything that will
make rope, and come back and fish for me."

"Honest!" came Carson's incredulous voice.

"Cross my heart and hope to die. Now, get a hustle on, or I'll catch my
death of cold."

Smoke kept himself warm by kicking a channel through the rim with the
heel of his shoe. By the time he had drained off the last of the water,
a faint call from Carson announced that he had reached the top.

After that Smoke occupied himself with drying his clothes. The late
afternoon sun beat warmly in upon him, and he wrung out his garments
and spread them about him. His match-case was water-proof, and he
manipulated and dried sufficient tobacco and rice-paper to make
cigarettes.

Two hours later, perched naked on the two packs and smoking, he heard a
voice above that he could not fail to identify.

"Oh, Smoke! Smoke!"

"Hello, Joy Gastell!" he called back. "Where'd you drop from?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Not even any skin off!"

"Father's paying the rope down now. Do you see it?"

"Yes, and I've got it," he answered. "Now, wait a couple of minutes,
please."

"What's the matter?" came her anxious query, after several minutes. "Oh,
I know, you're hurt."

"No, I'm not. I'm dressing."

"Dressing?"

"Yes. I've been in swimming. Now! Ready? Hoist away!"

He sent up the two packs on the first trip, was consequently rebuked by
Joy Gastell, and on the second trip came up himself.

Joy Gastell looked at him with glowing eyes, while her father and Carson
were busy coiling the rope. "How could you cut loose in that splendid
way?" she cried. "It was--it was glorious, that's all."

Smoke waved the compliment away with a deprecatory hand.

"I know all about it," she persisted. "Carson told me. You sacrificed
yourself to save him."

"Nothing of the sort," Smoke lied. "I could see that swimming-pool right
under me all