may meet again. Now then, we must lose no more time."

"Very well," said Nic; "only mind this: I will not do anything to risk
having you discovered; but I will come to you."

"I know you will not do anything to harm me, my lad; but you are
deceiving yourself, my boy. You will not come to me. Now, are you
ready?"

"Yes. Where's this dangerous shelf?"

"I will take you along it. Where is your handkerchief?"

"It was too hot to have it round my neck," said Nic, smiling, as he took
it from where it was tied about his waist.

"I am going to bind it round your eyes," said the convict.

"What! For fear that I should find the way down into the gorge?"

"No; because your head may turn giddy when you see the depth below you.
I want you to trust me, Nic, to lead you safely along the shelf. Can
you do this?"

Nic was silent for a few moments.

"I feel as if I want to trust you," he said at last; "but I don't feel
as if I can--no, no, I don't mean that. I mean that I want to trust
you, but I can't trust myself. No, that isn't it exactly. I suppose
I'm afraid. Why can't I walk close behind you?"

"Because I doubt your doing it without practice. I expect that you
would go along half-way and then lose your nerve, and I don't think I
could lift and carry you then. Won't you trust me, Nic?"

The boy looked sharply into his eyes for a moment, and then leaned
forward for his eyes to be bound, thinking the while of the log bridge
over the fern gully and his feelings there.

"There," said the convict, as he secured the knot firmly. "Now listen:
I shall take hold of your hand to hold it tightly, and I want you to try
and make yourself part of me for the next ten minutes, obeying every
touch, and taking step for step with me. Don't pause, don't hesitate;
only keep on feeling that I am guiding you safely through the darkness.
There is no risk if you do this."

"I'm ready," said Nic; "only begin quickly, please, and let's get it
done."

"Then come along."

Nic felt his hand seized in a strong, firm grip, and followed as he was
led, hesitating once, and showing a disposition to hang back, but it was
only for a moment. The next he was walking slowly and steadily behind
the convict, who led him between two or three bushes, and then along a
narrow shelf which passed round the end of the rock slip; and as soon as
it was cleared the buttress at that end grew still more narrow, so that
the boy felt his right arm brus