considerable way below us, close to the
precipice, some objects moving, which, on descending farther, we
discovered to be human beings. They were lying on the ground and waving
their hands. As we proceeded we found that the nearest was our poor
friend Leary.

"Oh, help them!--save them! murther, murther, or they'll all be dashed
to pieces," he shouted out, pointing down to the deep glen or gorge
below us, through which rushed a rapid, roaring, foaming stream.

Two of his sons lay close to him almost stunned. Four had started in
the wagon. Where were the other two? Where was the wagon? The marks
of the cart wheels verging to the left, and the broken ground at the
edge of the precipice, told us too plainly what had occurred. We looked
down the fearful ravine. No attempt we could make to aid the two
unfortunate young men would avail. Far, far, down amid masses of rocks
at the edge of the torrent lay a confused mass, amid which we could
distinguish the wheel of a wagon, and the head of one of the animals
which had drawn it, but nothing moved, no sound was heard. It was our
conviction that both men and beasts had been, long ere they reached the
bottom, deprived of life.

We did not describe to the poor father what we had seen. He was hoping
against hope that his sons had escaped. We needed no one to describe to
us how the accident had occurred. The road sloped away to the left, and
the animals, losing their footing, had been forced by the impetus of the
wagon over the precipice, while he and his other two lads had
mechanically leaped out at the moment it was about to make the fatal
plunge. The two lads were stunned and so much bruised that when they
came to themselves they could not walk, while Leary, though less hurt,
what with grief and regret at his folly and alarm, had his nerves so
completely unstrung that he lost all command over himself. To leave
them in this condition was impossible, so I volunteered to climb up the
mountain to hurry on some of the party with assistance; but Obed would
not hear of it, and insisted on my remaining while he returned. I
consented to his proposal, and having assisted me in dragging the three
men to a distance from the precipice, off he started. My watch was a
very painful one. Poor Leary was constantly raving, asking why his boys
did not come up from below there, and crying out that he would go and
look for them. I often had great difficulty in restraining him. One