rose and returned to the spot where Nam had robbed her.
Looking up presently, her eyes still blurred with tears, she saw Leonard
and the dwarf laboriously pushing two heavy stones across the snow
towards her.

"Come, do not cry, Juanna," said Leonard, ceasing from his labours and
laying his hand kindly upon her shoulder, "they are gone and there is an
end of it. Now we must think of other things."

"Oh!" she answered, "if only you had seen them, you would never stop
crying all your life."

"Then I dare say that the fit will be a short one," replied Leonard
grimly, glancing at the awful bridge which stretched between them and
safety.

"Listen, Juanna, you and I must lie upon this stone, and it will--so
says Otter--carry us across to the other side of the ravine."

"I cannot, I cannot," she gasped, "I shall faint and fall off. I am sure
that I shall."

"But you must, Juanna," answered Leonard. "At least you must choose
between this and returning to the City of the Mist."

"I will come," she said. "I know that I shall be killed, but it is
better than going back to those horrible priests; and besides, it does
not matter now that I have lost the jewels."

"Jewels are not everything, Juanna."

"Listen, Shepherdess," put in Otter, "the thing is easy, though it looks
difficult. All that you have to do is to shut your eyes and lie still,
then the stone will carry you over. I am not afraid. I will go first
to show you the way, and where a black dwarf can pass, there you white
people who are so much braver can follow. But before I start, I will
tie you and the Deliverer together with my cord, for so you will feel
safer."

Then Otter dragged both stones to the very verge of the incline, and
having passed the rope about the waists of Juanna and Leonard, he
prepared himself for the journey.

"Now, Deliverer," he said, "when I am safe across, all that you must do
it to lie flat upon the stone, both of you, and to push a little with
the spear. Then before you know it, you will be by my side."

"All right," said Leonard doubtfully. "Well, I suppose that you had
better start; waiting won't make the matter any easier."

"Yes, Baas, I will go now. Ah! little did I think that I should ever be
forced to take such a ride as this. Well, it will be something to make
songs about afterwards."

And Otter laid himself face downwards on the stone with a little laugh,
though Leonard noticed that, however brave his spirit might be,