k was over, he tore himself free of the snake-like rope, and
stepped to the edge of the cliff, to gaze down with dilated eyes.

"Well, you've done it now!" saluted him as he strained over the edge to
look below, where Kenneth, instead of looking down, was looking up,
while Scood was lying on the shelf of rock, rubbing himself with a hand
that was bleeding freely.

"Is--is he killed?" faltered Max, whose lips formed the question he had
been about to ask before he saw the gillie lying there.

"Do you hear, Scood? Are you killed?" said Kenneth coolly.

"Is she kilt? Na, she isna kilt," cried Scoodrach, with a savage snarl,
which was answered by a furious fit of barking from the terrier, as he
too looked down. "Hech, but this is the hartest stane! She's gien
hersel' a dreadful ding."

"Then you are both safe?" cried Max joyfully.

"Oh yes, quite safe, Max. Locked up tight. Did you cut the rope?"

"Cut the rope? No, I didn't touch it. Why did it break?"

"I say, Scoody, why did the rope break?"

"Oh, she's a pad rotten old rope, an' she'll burn her as soon as she
gets up again. But what a ding I gave my airm!"

"That's it, Max; the rope was rotten. Can you tie it together if we
throw it up to you?"

"Na," shouted Scoodrach; "she couldna tie it together, and she couldna
throw it up."

"I'm afraid I couldn't tie it tight enough," faltered Max; "but if I
could, it would not bear you."

"It would have to bear us. We can't stop down here. I say, Scoody,
think we could climb up?"

Scoodrach shook his head.

"Well, then, can we get down?"

"If she could get up or doon without a rope, the hawks wouldn't have
built their nest."

"That sounds like good logic, Max," cried Kenneth, "so you had better
let yourself over till you can hang by your hands, and then drop, and
we'll catch you."

"What?"

"You wouldn't hurt yourself so much as Scoody did, because we can both
help you. He nearly went right over, and dragged me with him."

"Oh!" ejaculated Max, with a shudder.

"Well, are you coming?"

"No! Impossible! What for?"

"To keep us company for a week or two, till somebody sees us. Hallo,
Sneeshing! Good dog, then! Come down, we want you. Hooray, Scoody!
dog for dinner! enough for three days. Then the young falcons will do
for another day. Well, are you coming?"

"Oh, Kenneth," cried Max, "you're making fun again. What shall we do?"

"You mean, what shall we do? You're all right. B