he
thing straight. He is very particular. And of course, I naturally am
deeply interested in knowing what occurred."

"There is Mr. Bauer, madam," said Clifford gravely. "You had better ask
him about it."

Bauer was in the same wagon with Mr. and Mrs. Douglas and Helen. On the
return trip, in the absence of Mr. Masters, Paul was driving the chuck
wagon which had been reloaded so as to allow room for Helen's cot in the
rear end of it.

Mrs. Van Shaw went over to the wagon and began to ask Bauer questions.

"Is it true that you went down after my son before Mr. Clifford came?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"In the dark?"

"There are no lights on the edge of the rock."

"Did you see him lying there below?"

"I saw something that looked like a body."

"How far below was it?"

"I don't know. I hadn't time to measure."

"Mr. Clifford said something to me about finding you clinging to Ross's
arm. Why were you doing that if he was lying on the ledge?"

"He had turned over and was rolling off."

"Then you were holding his arm------"

"Until help came. Then Mr. Clifford pulled him back over the edge."

Mrs. Van Shaw paused. Then she said abruptly:

"My son says you pushed him over the cliff."

"How dreadful!" a voice broke in and there was Helen, Her cheeks on
fire, sitting up confronting Mrs. Van Shaw.

"I know, Miss Douglas, he spoke in his delirium. But what were you doing
out there together? Why should you and Ross be there?" she said, turning
again to Bauer, who, when confronted with Van Shaw's charge, had turned
pale and clenched his fingers deep into his palms.

"I cannot tell you why we were there. I did not push him over the cliff.
The edge of it where he stood, crumbled and he went down."

"Why were you there with him? Can't you tell me that?"

"I would rather not."

Mrs. Van Shaw looked uncertainly from one to another. There was a
mystery here. She was too much of a woman of the world not to know, and
indeed, her son had plainly told her that he was infatuated with Miss
Douglas, but what had this obscure German invalid to do with it? In the
midst of all her questions, Helen broke in.

"Mrs. Van Shaw, do you realise that Mr. Bauer risked his life to save
your son? What he said about being pushed over the cliff is a fearful
thing to say even in delirium. Surely you can't believe that, after
knowing that Mr. Bauer went down the cliff to save him."

She spoke with a passionate eagerness that was an expres