he centre, where he stopped short, for the
slight poles of the ladder had given and given, sinking lower, till it
seemed as if they must break. Oliver knew it well, and had stopped
short, expecting to feel the check of the rope, which grew moist in the
hands which involuntarily tightened around it. The party in safety
watched with starting eyes, and breath held till, after a pause of some
seconds, which appeared to be prolonged into minutes, the bending ladder
began to spring and creak again, as, with his balance regained, Oliver
stepped on, round by round, and then reached the other side. Only about
a dozen feet, but to all it seemed like a horrible, long journey of the
greatest peril.

"Lane, lad," cried Panton, excitedly, as soon as his friend was over,
"what madness to go like that!"

"Shouldn't have thought me a coward and a boaster, then," said Oliver,
sitting down about three yards from the edge of the chasm, and
unfastening the rope from about his chest. "But it isn't safe to come
like that; I nearly lost my balance, the ladder bends so. Besides, it
will bear you better if you distribute your weight and come on all
fours."

"It's not safe even to do that," said Drew, sharply.

"As aforesaid," grumbled Wriggs.

"Oh, yes," said Oliver, smiling, "you can fasten the rope around you
Alpine fashion, and I shall hold one end; the others will hold the
second end, so that we shall all have you safely enough."

"All right," said Drew, shortly, and he made a loop, passed it over his
head and shoulders, tightened it, and advanced.

"Now then, draw in the line."

This was done, and with Oliver sitting with his heels firmly against a
projection of the rock, and hauling in foot by foot, and the others
giving, Drew went down on hands and knees, gripped the sides of the
ladder, and crawled across, the wood cracking a good deal, but not
bending nearly so much.

"There," said Oliver, as Drew unfastened the rope, "now you can help me
hold, and Panton can come over."

"I'm going to walk across," said Panton, firmly.

"No, you are not, man," cried Oliver; "you will crawl. We must run no
risks to-day."

Panton grumbled, but obeyed, crawling across in safety after coming to a
standstill in the middle and losing his nerve as he gazed down between
the rounds.

Then Wriggs came, and Smith was left to run as much risk as Oliver, for
he had only rope holders on the farther side, but he went across boldly
enough and w