ossible way even of
reaching poor Sir Reginald's body, and the way downward, if indeed such
existed, must be sought elsewhere.

They crouched where they were, in helpless bewilderment, watching the
ship until she slowly drifted out of sight round a projecting bluff; and
then, in a dazed, halfhearted way, and with nerves all unstrung by
disappointment and the dreadful accident which had befallen the baronet,
they began to slowly retrace their steps, in the faint hope of stumbling
upon some means of escape.

Led this time by the colonel, Mildmay bringing up the rear, the little
party at last made their way back to the narrow ledge where they had
previously paused to rest, and here they again made a momentary halt,
afterwards following the ledge in the other direction until it
terminated abruptly in an almost perpendicular wall of smooth rock.
Another ledge was here discovered, about eighteen feet further down, but
it was certainly not more than a foot wide, with apparently a vertical
fall of several hundred feet beyond. This ledge extended right and left
beyond their range of vision, and had evidently been traversed by them
in their original ascent, for their footprints were plainly visible in
the snow with which it was covered; if, therefore, they could reach it,
it would at least be possible to return to their original starting-
point, which would certainly be something gained. But how to get down
to it was the question. They had grown bewildered in their gropings
round about the summit, and knew not in which direction to go to regain
the lost path. They might, of course, go on climbing until they were
once more at the very top of the mountain, and commence their descent
afresh, but this was a task so full of difficulty and peril as not to be
thought of, save as a last resort. Besides, the day was already on the
wane, and it was of the utmost importance that they should reach some
place of comparative safety before nightfall. At length Mildmay hit
upon a bold though terribly dangerous mode of mastering the difficulty.

"Look here," he said, "it is no use hesitating here; we shall never do
any good at this rate. Let me offer a suggestion. I will lower myself
down over the ledge until I hang from it by my hands alone; then you,
Lethbridge, must climb down over me, using my body as a ladder (or a
rope, rather), and when you are hanging at arm's-length from my feet
there will only remain a very trifling drop to th