itated for a few moments, for the thought occurred to him that
the bird might make a swoop at him, as he had read of eagles acting
under similar circumstances; but the next moment he had thought of what
power there would be in the blow of a fist striking a bird in full
career, and knowing full well that it must be fatal to the raven, he
continued to descend, with the bird flying by some fifty feet overhead
and uttering its hoarse croak.

"Lower away a little more," said Vince, as he drew nearer the edge of
what might either be a precipice or an easy slope for aught he could
tell.

"I'll lower," was the reply; "but I want to feel you well."

"That's right. I must have rope enough to move quite freely."

"Yes, that's all very well; but I don't feel as if I could haul you up
if you slipped over the edge."

"Who's going to ask you to?" said Vince. "I should try and climb,
shouldn't I? If you keep me tight like that I can't get down."

"Are you all right?" said Mike anxiously, for he was by far the more
nervous of the two.

"Right?--yes; but I feel like a cow tethered to a picket, so that I
can't reach the bit of grass sward. Now then, lower away."

Mike obeyed, with the palms of his hands growing very moist, as his
companion drew closer to the brink.

"Lower away!" cried Vince.

"No: that's close enough," said Mike decidedly. "Look from where you
are, and come back. Now then, what can you see?"

"A bit of moss and a patch of sea-pink just under my nose. Don't be so
stupid! How am I to look over the edge if you hold me tight up like
this? Ah!"

"What is it?" cried Mike, holding on to the rope with all his might, and
keeping it resting on the rock, over which it had slowly glided.

"Only a loose stone gave way under my feet, and went down."

He remained silent, waiting to hear the fragment rebound and strike
somewhere, but he listened in vain. The fall of the stone, however, had
its effect, for a wild chorus of whistling and screaming arose, and an
eddy of wings came up as a perfect cloud of white and grey birds rose
into sight, and were spread to right and left.

"Hadn't you better come back now?" said Mike anxiously.

"If I do it will be to make you come down instead. Why, you're worse
than I am, Mike! Now then, lower away! I only want about a fathom
more, and then you may hold on tight."

"Very well, then," said the lad: "I'll give you just six feet, and not a
bit more. Then you shall com