into his mind.

"We'll make a rope," he said. "There's stout stuff in these fellows'
kilts and jackets," and he pointed to the Kachins lying near at hand.

Mr. Haydon slapped his son on the shoulder. "Good for you, Jack, my
boy!" he cried. "We'll have a try at it."

He spoke a few words to the native woman, and she laid her child down
and sprang at once to help. She proved by far the deftest and
cleverest of the three at the task now to be performed. Jack and his
father quickly stripped off belt, jacket, girdle, and turban from the
fallen Kachins, and their clothes were tossed over to the woman. With
a small, sharp knife which she produced from the little basket in
which she had carried her food, she swiftly cut up kilts and jackets,
while the other two knotted together turbans and girdles. Half an
hour's hard work saw the heap of clothing converted into a stout,
well-knotted rope. Jack took a glance at the men on guard. They were
still seated at the end of the shelf-road, smoking calmly, and
confident that their prey could not escape them. Jack now tied a heavy
stone at the end of the rope and let it down. The stone slid along the
face of the precipice and rested on the ledge. Nine or ten feet of
their rope were still unpaid out.

"Plenty long enough," said Jack, and they hauled the rope up quickly.

The woman and her child were, of course, sent down first. With a broad
strip of the strong home-spun the child was bound on its mother's
breast, so that she might at least have one hand free to hold herself
steady as she was lowered. At the end of the rope they made a broad
loop, and this was drawn tight about her body. When all was ready, she
slipped over the edge of the abyss with all the coolness and bravery
of her race, and the strong hands began to lower her. Foot by foot she
slid down the face of the cliff, and at last those above felt the
strain upon their muscles suddenly relieved. The woman was safely on
the ledge.

They now made the rope secure around the outer beam, which, luckily,
was fairly sound. The Kachin who was their prisoner was shouting and
yelling at the full pitch of his voice to warn his comrades that the
fugitives were escaping. His dark eyes snapped and glittered with
fury. He cared not what danger he brought upon himself if he could
but warn his friends. Jack and Mr. Haydon took no notice whatever of
the man's clamour. A hundred voices would have been drowned in the
hoarse roar of the torr