here he went; and he
must be killed."

It was one of the young soldier's weak moments; but his life of late had
taught him self-concentration and the necessity for action, and he
recovered himself quickly. The trembling fit passed off, and he look
out another match, lit it, stepped as near as he dared to the edge of
the gulf, and then pitched the burning flame gently from him, seeing it
go down out of sight; but nothing more, for the place was immense.

He lay down upon his breast now, and crawled in what seemed to be
greater darkness, consequent upon the light he had burned having made
his eyes contract, and worked himself so close that his hand was over
the edge, a short distance to the left of where he had broken it away
with his weight. Here he gathered up a handful of the frozen snow,
threw it from him, and listened till a faint pattering sound came up.

His next act was to utter a shout, which came back at once, as if from a
wall of rock, while other repetitions seemed to come from right and
left. Then, raising his fingers to his mouth, he gave vent to a long,
shrill whistle, which he repeated again and again, and then, with a
strange stony sensation, he worked himself slowly back, feet foremost,
at first very slowly, and then with frantic haste, as it suddenly dawned
upon him that he was going uphill. For the snowy mass was sinking, and
it was only just in time that he reached a firmer part, and lay
quivering in the darkness, while he listened to a rushing sound, for his
weight had started an immense cornice-like piece of the snow, which went
down with a sullen roar.

"It's no use while it's like this," groaned Gedge. "I can't do nothing
to help him till the day comes. I should on'y be chucking my own life
away. I'd do it if it was any good; but it wouldn't be no use to try,
and I might p'raps find him if I could only see."

He had risen to his knees now, and the position brought the words to his
lips; the rough lad speaking, but with as perfect reverence as ever came
from the lips of man:

"Oh, please, God, can't you make the light come soon, and end this
dreadful night?"

Poor, rough, rude Bill Gedge had covered his eyes as he softly whispered
his prayer; and when he opened them again, it was to look upon no marvel
greater than that grand old miracle which we, with leaden eyes sealed
up, allow to pass away unheeded, unseen. It was but the beginning of
another of the many days seen in a wild moun