was completely overmatched by
a desperate man; and, unless Dickenson could have interfered and saved
him, Lennox's fate was to be thrown from the rocky ledge out into the
black shadowy air, to fall heavily, crushed and broken, upon the stones
below.

But fate favoured him at the last pinch, for as his enemy by sheer
weight and pressure bore him back and then lifted him from the shelf
preparatory to hurling him outward, Lennox suddenly gave up resisting,
loosening his grasp so as to take fast hold round his enemy's neck, when
the sudden cessation of resistance had the effect of throwing the latter
off his balance just when he was very near the edge where he intended to
plant his foot down and check his farther progress. The result was that
he put his foot down a few inches too far, his heel pressing down upon
the rock where his toes should have been, and before he could recover
himself his foot was down over the side, while by a frantic wrench
Lennox flung himself sidewise inward.

They fell sidewise upon the shelf, Lennox uppermost, his enemy half over
the edge and gliding rapidly down, his weight drawing his adversary
after him slowly, inch by inch, for the hitter's position debarred his
making any successful effort to escape. For the enemy not only had him
tightly clasped, but, feeling his disadvantage, had wrenched his face
round so that he could savagely seize hold of the young officer's khaki
jacket with his teeth. And there he hung on, doubtless intending to
speak and declare that if he was to fall his enemy should share his
fate. But no coherent words were uttered; nothing was to be made out
but a savage growling as of some fierce wild beast.

The action took less time than the telling, and, fortunately for all,
now was Dickenson's opportunity.

The darkness had prevented his seeing the whole of the varying phases of
the struggle; but the latter part was plain enough, and fully grasping
the position and the emergency of the case, he sprang upon the
contending couple just at the right moment, adding his weight, which
from his position of vantage completely checked the gradual gliding
movement in which Lennox was being drawn onward to his death.

"Give up, you brute!" roared Dickenson now. "Surrender!"

For response the prostrate man, who was vainly striving to find foothold
below the edge of the shelf, let go with one hand and quick as thought
flung it over the speaker so that he got hold tightly by th