ng what had occurred, Jack and Fred ran to the edge and looked
down. They were in time to see the mountainous bulk tumbling into the
vast chasm. The body maintained a horizontal posture, as in life, until
it struck a projecting point which sent it bounding against the other
side, where the impact added to the tendency of the first blow, and the
body turned over and over, like an immense log rolling down hill.
Despite the gloom of the abyss the sun was shining so brightly, and was
in such a favorable position, that everything was seen with
distinctness.

Peering downward, the awed and grateful boys saw the black mass suddenly
strike the foamy waters and send the spray flying in all directions. It
disappeared for a moment and then popped up like a rubber-ball, and went
dancing down the current toward the break in the walls which they had
visited a brief while before.

Still silent and watching, they observed it dancing up and down with the
violence of the stream until its motion was arrested by striking an
obstruction, which held it motionless. There it stayed for the remaining
minutes spent in peering into the abyss.

Jack and Fred looked up and across the canyon at the same instant. They
were directly opposite, and hardly twelve feet apart. The elder took off
his hat and called:

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," said Fred, removing his head-gear.

"All together!"

And then they swung their hats and hurrahed with the vim which, all
things considered, was justified by events. They were happy and
grateful, and neither forgot to thank, with all the fervency of his
nature, the One who had delivered them in safety from the very jaws of
death. No matter what other dangers might come to them, there could be
none narrower or more striking than that through which they had just
passed.

"Do you intend to stay on that side of the canyon?" asked Fred.

"I don't know that there is any choice between our places, but if you
feel lonely I'll come over to your help."

"I thought you might want to pick up the gun you threw away."

Jack looked at each of his hands in turn and laughed.

"Do you know I had forgotten all about that? I don't remember having
thrown it aside."

"I saw you do it, and it was a lucky thing you did."

The two walked beside the canyon until they came to a straight place,
where Jack easily made the leap and joined his friend. Then they set out
to recover the Winchester, which, as matters stood, was almost be