pids in the
effort to regain her equilibrium.

In that instant Frank Merriwell's strong right arm had sent the
stranger, with one great surge, reeling to his knees some feet from the
water's edge, and then his left arm encircled Inza's waist and drew her
from the perilous spot.

She was white as the mist that rose in a great cloud close at hand.

"Inza!" cried Merry chokingly. "Thank Heaven you had presence of mind
and dodged!"

"Oh, Frank!" she murmured; "I nearly fell into the water after that!"

He gave her all his attention.

"That old man must be crazy!" he said. "No one at his age that is not
crazy or foolish would prowl about at the very edge of the river here,
where a misstep means almost certain death. He should be locked up!"

Then he turned to look for the stranger, but saw the bent form at a
distance. Without having paused to utter a word of explanation, apology,
or regret, the man was hastening away.

"Further proof that he's daffy," muttered Frank.

He longed to hasten after the stranger, but felt Inza clinging to him in
weakness, which prevented such a move.

And now their friends, having discovered for the first time that
something was wrong, came hurrying to the spot, asking many questions.

It was some time before Inza recovered, but in the end she flung off her
weakness with a sudden show of resolution, forced a laugh, and declared
that she was all right.

"Where is the chundering old bump--I mean the blundering old chump?"
spluttered Harry Rattleton. "Didn't stop to say a word? Well, somebody
ought to say something to him! I'd like the privilege. It would do me
good to give him an unvarnished piece of my mind."

The old man, however, had disappeared. Morgan said he had taken a
carriage after hastening from the immediate vicinity of the falls.

"I'm glad he's gone," declared Inza. "I'm sure he was frightened.
Perhaps he didn't know what to say under the circumstances."

"I'm afraid this terrible adventure will spoil your enjoyment here,
Inza," said Mrs. Medford.

"Not at all," was the answer. "It's all over now, and we'll forget it.
What shall we do next?"

It was agreed that the proper thing was to resume their trolley ride
around the gorge, and so they took the next car bound down the river.

This ride was one that none of them could ever forget. The tracks ran
close to the brink of the great gorge, so close at times that they could
look directly downward from the side of the c