ll turn giddy and fall over!'

I smoothed her golden hair. 'Elsie, dear,' I said gently, gazing into
her blue eyes, 'you are a woman. A woman can always be brave, where
those she loves are concerned; and I believe you love me.' I led her,
coaxingly, to the edge. 'Sit there,' I said, in my quietest voice, so as
not to alarm her. 'You can lie at full length, if you like, and only
just peep over. But when I wave my hand, remember, you must pull the
rope up.'

She obeyed me like a child. I knew she loved me.

[Illustration: I GRIPPED THE ROPE AND LET MYSELF DOWN.]

I gripped the rope and let myself down, not using the loops to descend,
but just sliding with hands and knees, and allowing the knots to slacken
my pace. Half-way down, I will confess, the eerie feeling of physical
suspense was horrible. One hung so in mid-air! The hawks flapped their
wings. But Harold was below; and a woman can always be brave where those
she loves--well, just that moment, catching my breath, I knew I loved
Harold.

I glided down swiftly. The air whizzed. At last, on a narrow shelf of
rock, I leant over him. He seized my hand. 'I knew you would come!' he
cried. 'I felt sure you would find out. Though, _how_ you found out,
Heaven only knows, you clever, brave little woman!'

'Are you terribly hurt?' I asked, bending close. His clothes were torn.

'I hardly know. I can't move. It may only be bruises.'

'Can you climb by these nooses with my help?'

He shook his head. 'Oh, no. I couldn't climb at all. I must be lifted,
somehow. You had better go back to Lungern and bring men to help you.'

'And leave you here alone! Never, Harold; never!'

'Then what can we do?'

I reflected a moment. 'Lend me your pencil,' I said. He pulled it
out--his arms were almost unhurt, fortunately. I scribbled a line to
Elsie. 'Tie my plaid to the rope and let it down.' Then I waved to her
to pull up again.

I was half surprised to find she obeyed the signal, for she crouched
there, white-faced and open-mouthed, watching; but I have often observed
that women are almost always brave in the great emergencies. She pinned
on the plaid and let it down with commendable quickness. I doubled it,
and tied firm knots in the four corners, so as to make it into a sort of
basket; then I fastened it at each corner with a piece of the rope,
crossed in the middle, till it looked like one of the cages they use in
mills for letting down sacks with. As soon as it was finished,