the right, and on the
left, space, with far below the foaming torrent, a glance at which
seemed to produce vertigo.

To stand still seemed to be worse than going on, and taking it to his
comfort that what one man could do another might, Don reached the
corner, but hesitated again, for there seemed to be no foot-hold
whatever. But as he hesitated a great brown hand came round, ready to
grasp his firmly; and with this help he made the venture, pressing
himself close against the rock and creeping on.

He was just in the most perilous part, well out over the torrent, when
his left foot slipped, and a horrible chill ran through him, as he felt
that he was falling into the chasm below to instant death. He held on
with his right hand, and strove to press his breast against the rock,
but the effort was vain; his right hand slipped from the crevice in
which it was thrust, his right foot glided over the wet moss, and he
slipped down, hung for a moment or two over the foaming waters, and then
felt himself swung up and on to a broad ledge, upon which Ngati was
standing.

The Maori took it as a matter of course, signed to him to get up, and
passed his hand round the rock once more to assist Jem.

A curious sensation ran through Don as he watched for Jem's coming, and
trembling and unnerved, it seemed to him that watching another's peril
was more painful than suffering oneself.

But in spite of his wounded shoulder Jem came round the point slowly and
carefully, but with his brow rugged from the pain he suffered as Ngati
held him firmly by his injured arm.

As soon as he was in safety Jem passed his hand across his wet forehead
and bit his lip, whilst once more signing to them to follow, Ngati led
on.

The way now was downward from rock to rock, and, terrible though it
looked, the danger was less, for there was ample foot-hold and an
abundance of bushy stems and fern fronds ready to their hands. The
falls were again invisible, and they pressed on toward where another
shoulder of the rocks jutted out, hiding the falling waters, whose noise
was now so deafening that, had they wished to speak, a shout close to
the ear would hardly have been heard.

Big as the Maori was, he seemed to be as active as a goat, and picking
the easiest ways over the mist-moistened stones, he led his companions
lower and lower down the rock wall till, when they reached the next
projection, and on passing round, it was to find themselves in what was