the ravine that it was barely two yards from
its extremity to the other bank. Moreover, the sides of the canyon were
on a level, so that a more favorable spot for crossing could not have
been desired.

An examination of this formation showed that twenty feet below them the
canyon was as wide as at the point from which they had watched their
friend. The ledge, therefore, arched over, and was in the nature of a
partial bridge, whose thickness would have sustained a great many tons.

They peered downward in quest of Hank, but the gorge had taken an abrupt
turn since they saw him and he was not in sight.

The task before them seemed so simple that the two gave it scarcely a
thought, but it brought them an experience which, in some respects, was
the most terrifying of their lives.

While the banks were substantially on the same level, the opposite one
was fringed with a species of stunted bush, two or three feet high,
quite dense, and bearing a species of red berry such as is found on the
fragrant wintergreen. Hazletine had cautioned the lads against eating
any vegetable whatever in this section, since many are violently
poisonous and have caused the death of more than one thoughtless
tenderfoot.

Fred Greenwood made ready for the first jump. As in the former instance,
the distance was so slight that it was not necessary to toss any of
their impedimenta in advance of their own passage. It was easy to jump
with the Winchester in one hand and the goodly piece of meat in the
other. Since Fred had beaten his friend some time before, Jack quietly
resolved to turn the tables by doing his best, and he was confident of
far surpassing him, especially as Fred had no suspicion of his
intention.

"Go ahead," said Jack; "night isn't far off, and it will be dark by the
time we reach camp."

Fred took only a couple of paces for a start, when he bounded across the
chasm with the ease of a chamois. Jack had sauntered a rod back, as if
with no special purpose in mind, when his object was to secure the
impetus that would land him far in advance of his comrade. Standing
thus, he complacently watched Fred, as his body rose in air, gracefully
curved over, and landed at a safe distance beyond the edge of the
canyon.

It was while Jack Dudley was standing thus that he fancied he saw a
disturbance in the bushes where Fred was about to alight. It was so
slight that he did not think it meant anything; and, without noticing it
further, he s