his left hand down. He has got hold of my revolver."

"Bless him for a beauty! Can you stop him?"

"I don't know yet; I'm so awkwardly situated. Can you keep us from
going over?"

"Oh yes, I can do that. Here, I've got at my six-shooter now; hold
still, and I'll put something through his head."

"No, no; we must take him alive," cried Lennox.

"It's all very fine, but he's going to take us dead. Better let me
cripple him. Shall I light a match?"

"No, no. I've got tight hold of his wrist now, so that he can't use my
revolver. Ha! Look out!"

"I shall have to shoot him," cried Dickenson; for, foiled in his effort
to get hold of the fresh weapon, the man began to struggle again
fiercely, heaving himself up and wrenching himself to right and left in
a way that threatened to result in the whole party going over into the
black gulf below.

Lennox uttered another warning cry.

"Take care?" growled Dickenson. "Who's to take care in the dark? Here,
tell the brute in Dutch that if he doesn't give up I'll send a bullet
through his head. He doesn't seem to understand plain English."

"Yes, he does, for he spoke in English just now."

This was too true, for just then the prisoner suddenly yelled out,
"Dirck! Dirck! Help! The cursed rooineks have got me down."

"Oho! Then there are more than one of you, my beauty!" cried Dickenson.
"Now then, this is a gag; hold still or I'll pull the trigger."

There was a clinking sound caused by the rattling of the desperate
prisoner's teeth against the barrel of the pistol which Dickenson thrust
into his mouth just as he was about to speak. But he wrenched his head
round and began to struggle again so desperately that Lennox's temper
got the upper hand and he began to grow merciless to a degree that
tempted him to bid his comrade fire.

"Look here," roared Dickenson at the same moment, "I've had enough of
this, my fine fellow. Surrender, or I'll fire without mercy."

"Ha!" ejaculated Lennox in a sigh of relief, for those six shots had not
been fired in vain. The prisoner had unconsciously summoned assistance
to complete his capture, and Lennox's sigh had been produced by the
sight of a flash of light and the sound of hurrying feet, the two
sergeants with their lanterns reaching the spot first, closely followed
by the officers and men, who gazed down in wonder at the human knot
composed of the wondrously tied up three lying at the edge of the
precipice.

"C