saved himself from toppling over the brink.

Down in the ravine two boys gazed in unutterable horror at the falling
form of the girl.

Then they beheld what seemed like a marvel.

To a certain extent the umbrella acted like a parachute, and, assisted
by the girl's clothing, served to check the swiftness of her fall.

Down she came into the ravine, alighting within a few rods of the boys,
collapsing in a motionless heap, while the huge government umbrella,
which must have been stolen from its former owners, turned bottom up and
rolled a few feet away.

Frank was the first to recover. With a low cry, he sprang toward the
girl, knelt beside her, and lifted her in his arms.

"Is she dead?" fluttered Bart, over his friend's shoulder.

"I do not think she struck hard enough," said Frank. "No--she moves. She
is alive!"

The beautiful girl, whose face was very pale, opened her eyes, caught
her breath convulsively, looked straight past Frank, saw the face of the
other boy, and murmured:

"Bartley!"

In a moment Bart Hodge was on his knees, and he almost tore her from
Frank's hands.

"Give her to me!" he panted. "She knows me now! She will not refuse to
recognize me here!"

Seeing how agitated his friend was, Frank surrendered the girl, asking:

"Are you severely harmed, Miss Isban?"

She looked at him in a bewildered way, but did not reply.

Bending over her, Bart echoed the question:

"Are you severely harmed, Miss Melburn?"

"I--I think not," she replied, faintly. "I lost my breath, and I feared
I would lose my hold on the handle of the umbrella before I reached the
bottom. I did not strike very hard, but everything seemed to float away
when I knew I was at the bottom."

"It is wonderful--marvelous! What made you do such a mad thing?"

"The horrid wretch who insisted on making love to me! I became awfully
afraid of him. He was pursuing me."

"But it seemed like a leap to certain death."

"I didn't care much. I was crazy with fear. I saw this old umbrella,
and, remembering how I had once seen a man descend by means of a
parachute from a balloon, I caught it up, rushed out of the cabin,
slamming the door in his face, opened it, and jumped when he came
hurrying after me."

"The brute!" grated Bart.

"He is a brute!" echoed the girl, "I had rather die than fall into his
power again!"

"You shall not fall into his power. We will protect you."

"But how does it happen you are here?" she asked, bewil