in its lightness, he had reached my bundle almost before Gunson
could protest. Swinging it up on his head as he turned, he began to
come back as quickly as he went, but now he began to get lower and
lower.

"He'll be swept away!" cried Gunson, excitedly; and, placing one foot at
the extreme verge of the firm ground, he reached out towards the
Chinaman.

"Give me your hand, my lad," he cried, hoarsely; and as I lay there, I
stretched out my hand to have it seized, while I watched Quong coming
nearer, splashing up the water now and sending the spray flying as he
strained forward to get hold of Gunson.

For a few moments we both thought he was gone, for he had glided down
till the water was over his ankles, and still, as he reached out, he was
a few inches from Gunson's grasp, while for him to have moved would have
been fatal; but he made one more effort, hooking his fingers over
Gunson's, and then there was another jerk, the bundle came over on to
me, and as our friend made a violent muscular effort to throw himself
back, the little Chinaman was dragged right over on to firm ground.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

HOW WE FOUND OUT A PUZZLE.

"Ah!" said Quong, getting up and shaking his legs; "got velly wet."

"You stupid fellow! you nearly lost your life," said Gunson, angrily.

"Lose life?" said Quong, looking puzzled; "who lose life? Don't know."

"There, go on up and take the pack. Can you climb up, my lad?"

I replied that I could, and followed Gunson, who showed me the way he
had descended by the help of the rocks, and projecting roots of the
dwarf firs which began to grow freely as soon as the slaty shale ceased.

Esau was waiting at the top, ready to lend me a hand, smiling
triumphantly as soon as we were alone.

"You should have tried to go up all of a slope as I did," he said, "not
down of a slope as you did."

"I tried my best, Esau," I said, sadly.

"Of course you would. Well, I hope there isn't going to be much more
like that for us to do. Once is enough."

By this time Quong was back at his fire, and we soon after partook of
our mid-day meal, with copious draughts of tea for washing it down, and
after an hour's good nap started off again to find no further
difficulties that afternoon, for our journey was through pine forest
once more, where the grey moss hung like strands from the older
branches, and in the more open places the dark, bronze-leaved barberry
grew plentifully, with its purple-