mere threads, and the footholds
that were almost invisible, were in reality from a foot to three feet
wide. The only danger lay in the hermit's head being unable to stand the
trial, but, as Moses had remarked, there was no fear of that.

The watchers were therefore beginning to feel somewhat relieved from
the tension of their anxiety, when a huge mass of rock was seen to slip
from the face of the cliff and descend with the thunderous roar of an
avalanche. The incident gave those in the boat a shock, for the landslip
occurred not far from the spot which Van der Kemp had reached, but as he
still stood there in apparent safety there seemed no cause for alarm
till it was observed that the climber remained quite still for a long
time and, seemed to have no intention of moving.

"God help him!" cried Nigel in sudden alarm, "the ledge has been carried
away and he cannot advance! Stay by the boat, Moses, I will run to help
him!"

"No, Massa Nadgel," returned the negro, "I go to die wid 'im. Boat kin
look arter itself."

He sprang on shore as he spoke, and dashed up the mountain-side like a
hunted hare.

Our hero looked at Winnie for an instant in hesitation.

"Go!" said the poor girl. "You know I can manage a boat--quick!"

Another moment and Nigel was following in the track of the negro. They
gained the broken ledge together, and then found that the space between
the point which they had reached and the spot on which the hermit stood
was a smooth face of perpendicular rock--an absolutely impassable gulf!

Van der Kemp was standing with his back flat against the precipice and
his feet resting on a little piece of projecting rock not more than
three inches wide. This was all that lay between him and the hideous
depth below, for Nigel found on carefully drawing nearer that the
avalanche had been more extensive than was apparent from below, and that
the ledge beyond the hermit had been also carried away--thus cutting
off his retreat as well as his advance.

"I can make no effort to help myself," said Van der Kemp in a low but
calm voice, when our hero's foot rested on the last projecting point
that he could gain, and found that with the utmost reach of his arm he
could not get within six inches of his friend's outstretched hand.
Besides, Nigel himself stood on so narrow a ledge, and against so steep
a cliff, that he could not have acted with his wonted power even if the
hand could have been grasped. Moses stood immediate