, but for
people burdened as we were it was hard work indeed.

At the end of half an hour the river, which had been hidden from us save
when we went close to the edge and looked down, came into view again,
for the character of the valley had suddenly changed. We found now that
there was the steep slope from high up the mountain to the level of the
water, which roared and surged along, and swept away the thin pieces of
slaty stone which formed the slope--a clatter-slide, as west-country
people would call it. These pieces were all loose and extremely
unpleasant to walk upon, being shaley fragments of all sizes, from that
of a child's hand up to thin fragments a foot or two across.

The heat here was tremendous, and as we walked the stones gave way
beneath our feet, and began setting in motion little stony avalanches,
which kept on gliding down till the whole of the slope seemed to be
running into the river. No one talked, but strode on, not planting his
feet in the footsteps of him who had gone before, but avoiding them, for
they formed the centres of so much loose stuff ready to give way at a
touch.

We got along over about half a mile of this, and then paused on a bit of
a shelf to rest, for about a quarter of a mile farther we saw our
resting-place; the clatter ceasing, to give way to verdure with plenty
of trees, and in their midst, temptingly beckoning us to fresh
exertions, there was the water we needed--a beautiful filmy veil,
floating down from hundreds of feet up, arched by a hopeful rainbow, and
anon gliding softly like a shower of silver rockets down behind the tall
green firs.

We knew that there would be a beautiful pool of water at the foot of
that cascade, with green, mossy grass, and plenty of pine-boughs for our
fire and to shade us from the scorching sun; and toward this enviable
spot we pressed on, with the slope growing steeper and steeper, till at
last we paused again for Gunson to investigate.

It was time. For the past five minutes the slide had kept running so
much toward the perpendicular, that at every step we loosened stones
which began to tear down toward the river, and necessitated leaps and
quick plunges to keep us from being carried with them, while a slip
would have meant a headlong fall, increasing in speed till the
unfortunate was plunged into the foaming torrent which poured down, and
would have swept him instantly away.

"Watch how I go," said Gunson. "Keep cool, and don't t