k. He made his way to the top of the other slope and shouted,--

"Hi, Jemmy!--smuggler! Quick! Come down!"

There was no response, for, good-heartedly enough, Ram had, as
before-said, repented, and come back alone.

What should he do? Climb out, and run for help?

No, he did not know where to find it; and by the time he had discovered
some of Ram's people, it would be too late; so, with the way of escape
open to him, and freedom ready to welcome him once again, he hurried
back, lanthorn in hand, selected a coil of rope from the pile of stores,
threw it over his shoulder, passing his left arm through, and, leaving
the lanthorn where he had found it, he hurried back to the narrow
passage, climbed the slope and the steps up to the opening; and, with
the rope hanging like a sword-belt from his shoulder, impeding his
movements, and getting caught in the projections over and over again, he
once more began to descend.

How he got down he hardly knew, but long before he reached the great
shelf, he was so incommoded by the rope that he contrived, spread-eagled
as he was against the rock face, to get it over his head, and then
carefully let it drop, uttering a cry of anguish as he saw it fall,
catching against a piece of rock which diverted its course, so that it
rested nearly half over the edge, and he clung there, gazing down
wildly, expecting to see it disappear, in which case he would have had
to climb again for another coil.

Fortunately it lodged, and in a few minutes he was down beside it, and
close at the end of the great ledge, gazing over wonderingly, and with
his eyes half blinded by a mist, expecting to see the narrow shelf below
bare.

But no; Ram had not moved, and there was yet time.

Seizing the coil of rope, he shook it open, and selecting one of the
biggest blocks of stone, which had at some time fallen from above, he
made one end of the rope fast, tried it to make sure, lowered the other
over the edge, and carefully slid down, swinging to and fro, and turning
slowly round, to hang for a few moments, trying to plant his foot on the
ledge without touching Ram, for he felt more than ever convinced he
would glide off at the slightest shock.

It was impossible. The only way was to draw up his legs, give himself
an impetus by kicking against the rock, swinging to and fro, and then
letting himself, at a certain moment when he was well beyond the boy,
drop on to the shelf.

He tried the experiment, and