's face.
"Thank God that you've come. Harry fell over the cliff. We can see him,
and Jose's gone to the cabin to get ropes."

With many exclamations of surprise Mrs. Nitschkan peered over the edge
of the ravine. "Saved by them little sticks of pine trees and a piece of
rock no wider than my foot! Ain't that the workings of Providence for
you!"

"Is he--is he--do you think he is--" Pearl's voice broke in anguish.

"No, I don't. He ain't lookin' that way," said Mrs. Nitschkan, with such
force and heartiness that Pearl was immediately reassured. "He's jus'
got the sense knocked out of him. I don't jus' see yet how we're goin'
to get the ropes fastened to him, so's he can be drug up."

"I'm going down to him. I'll fasten them."

"You! And yet I don't know but what it ain't best. It'll take all the
strength Jose and I've got to draw him up careful and not go bumping him
too much against the rocks."

Pearl took off her shoes, then, shutting her lips tightly and reassuring
herself with the knowledge that the rock was rough and she was
sure-footed, she lowered herself over the side of the ravine and
reached for a foothold. Presently she found it, and then another.
Slowly, with cut and bleeding hands, she made her way down. Half way,
perhaps, she grasped a little bush which seemed to spring securely from
the cliff and held tightly to this until she could grasp another jutting
point of rock and then another bush, until at last, with a great sobbing
sigh, she found her feet planted on what seemed sure ground. It was the
trunks and the outspreading branches of the same pine trees which held
Seagreave. She took a second to draw a long breath, and then, holding
cautiously to a little branch, she bent over him.

With infinite tenderness she attempted to straighten out one leg which
was doubled beneath him, but he moaned and sighed so that she desisted,
seeing from the limp way that it lay that it was broken. He had
evidently fallen on his back; and like a dagger zig-zagging its way
through her heart was the thought, "What if that, too, were broken?"

Oh, how should they get him up without injuring him further and cruelly
hurting him with the ropes. And he must be so cold. She shivered herself
in the damp, icy air of this ravine. She called up to Mrs. Nitschkan to
swing down to her her long cape, which she had discarded before
beginning her climb. The gypsy did so carefully, but just as she let the
end of it go a gust of wind