be
plunged.

Forward still, with a feeling of anger growing within me--a contempt for
my own weakness that still kept back the feeling of dread. I had lost
sight of Gunson and Esau, and thinking now of nothing but keeping on my
legs, I dragged foot after foot out of the stones, and tried to plant
one on firmer ground, but tried in vain, till at last I had been carried
down so low that though my head was averted, and my eyes were directed
toward the spot I ought to have reached, I knew, as I made my last
desperate effort, that I was only a few yards above the water.

Then, crash!--crash!--crash!--crash!--my feet striking heavily and
sending the stones flying, I fought blindly on. There was a singing in
my ears, a sense of strangling in my throat, and above all, a dull,
half-stunned sensation, mingled with which were thoughts of the others;
and then as darkness came over me, and I fell forward, there was a sharp
jerk, a few encouraging words were said by some one, and I found myself
lying amongst stones and moss, too much exhausted to speak.

"Better?" said a well-known voice.

"Better?" I said, faintly; "have I been ill?"

"Ill? No, my lad; but you've had a narrow escape. You were nearly down
to the edge of the river when I got hold of your hand."

"And the pack?" I said, in a husky whisper.

"It lies out yonder on the slope, waiting till the next slide of stones
sweeps it away."

"Then I dropped it?" I said, wonderingly.

"Yes. Never mind the pack; you are safe. Why, you did not manage so
well as we did, Gordon."

"No," I said, feeling very much exhausted and faint; "and yet I thought
I could do it better. The stones gave way so."

Gunson laughed.

"Yes; we ought to have tried another plan. The whole slope is quite
rotten, and nothing holds the stones together."

I looked round now, and found that we were at the very bottom of a steep
bit of precipice, down which something blue was coming cautiously, which
we recognised as Quong.

"What is it, my man?" said Gunson.

"Come 'long down get pack," said Quong. "You velly bad?" he continued
to me.

"No, no, we must leave it," said Gunson; and I looked at where my pack
lay, tightly done up in its blanket, about a score yards away.

"Leave pack?" cried Quong, looking at Gunson as if he thought him mad.
"Leave fo' Indian man come find? No. Quong set him." And going
quickly and delicately over the stones with a step that was almost
cat-like