oods. A strange fear that the overhanging rock
would fall or imprison him caused him to hasten still more. After
walking some time further he slackened his steps.

"I must be pretty near the opening, judging by the distance I have come;
and if such be the case--"

Further words were checked, for at that instant Elwood stepped off the
path and went down--down!

CHAPTER XLII.

A DREARY NIGHT.

Elwood fell about twenty feet, striking the solid earth, without losing
his own perpendicular position. He was considerably pained, but not
seriously hurt. His rifle had fallen from his hand, and was not found
again until daybreak, as not knowing where he stood, whether upon the
edge of some precipice or ravine, he scarcely dared move a limb.

Ah! if the night was so weary to the watchers by the river shore, it was
much more so to him for whom they thus lay awake. Utter midnight
blackness all around, the profound and impressive stillness made more
profound and impressive by the trickling of some current near, the
occasional glimpse of some tiny star twinkling among the dark,
straggling clouds overhead; such was Elwood Brandon's situation and
surroundings.

His only resource was thought, and the direction which this took for a
time was anything but a relief. He saw that he himself was to blame for
the disaster of the day. It was he who proposed this ramble, and he who
insisted so strenuously upon separating from Howard in the journey
around the hills. And then his present situation resulted wholly from
his own foolishness--to call it no milder term--in entering an unknown
path with the simple hope of reaching a designated point a few minutes
in advance of his friend, whom he knew well enough had carried out to
the letter their agreement, and was waiting his coming.

Had Howard found Tim O'Rooney? That was the next question. Or was he
still lingering on the other side of the hills, waiting for the morning
to renew his hunt for himself before he sought out his companion? The
latter seemed the most probable supposition to Elwood, and the odd whim
took him that his cousin was close at hand and listening for the
familiar signal. So he placed his fingers to his mouth and repeated the
whistle which they had used so many times between them.

He did this again and again, but there was no response, and he finally
concluded that it was rather a monotonous manner of passing the time and
ceased, and again gave himself up to tho