hat she must do. She was
fortifying all her resolution. She answered with genuine bravery:

"Yes--I--I'll do what you say."

She took up the reins. Her pale face was set, but she did not close
her eyes to cross the dizzying brink. The mare went forward--and
Elsa's bay resumed his patient tagging, up to and past the fateful
place where a part of the shelf-edge, having been dislodged, had let
Van's pony fall.

For ten age-long minutes Van waited on his ledge, feeling the
treacherous, rotted stuff break silently away beneath his feet. The
shrub, too, was showing an earthy bit of root as it slowly but
certainly relinquished its hold on the substance which the crevice had
divided. The man could almost have calculated how many seconds the
shelf and the shrub could sustain their living burden.

Then Beth returned. She had left her maid with the horses; she held
the lasso in her hand. To creep on foot along the granite bridge was
taxing the utmost of her courage. She could not ascertain precisely
where it was that the horseman was waiting below. She was guided only
by the broken ledge, where pony and all had disappeared. Therefore,
she called to him weakly.

"Mr. Van--Mr. Van--where are you?"

Van's heart turned over in his breast.

"Just below that split boulder in the trail," he answered cheerily.
"Go to that."

A silence succeeded, then he heard, in tremulous accents:

"I'm here--but how am I going to tie the rope?"

Van answered distinctly, for much depended on precision.

"Uncoil it first. On one end there's an eye that runs the loop. Open
the loop to a pretty good size and slip it over the smaller portion of
the boulder. Then push it well down in the crevice, and pull it tight."

He knew that the rope was far too short to loop the larger rock and
reach his hands. He waited while he thought she might be working--as
indeed she was--and presently added: "Got that done?"

"Yes," she called. "Yes--but are you sure----"

His hold was giving way. He answered crisply:

"Now drop me the end. Don't wait!"

[Illustration: His hold was giving way.]

Beth had forgotten all danger to herself. She had ceased to tremble.
She paid out the rope with commendable promptness.

"Does it reach?" she cried. "Can you get it?"

He could not. Though sufficiently long it was ten feet away, on his
right. His seconds were growing fearfully precious.

"Just shift it over, more towards Elsa," he called, sti