eden was grasping the slender trunk of a sapling
which grew three feet to an inch from the new edge of the bluff. As he
was, arm and all, at full length, it follows that from the breast-bone
downwards the whole of him was over the cliff. Valerie was altogether
in mid-air. She was directly suspended, with her back flat against
Anthony, by the latter's left arm, which if he had released she would
have fallen plumb into the pinewood....

In a quiet voice Lyveden was speaking.

"Try and free your right arm."

Providentially, the girl's elbow was on a level with the edge, and at
the expense of a torn sleeve she was able to work the arm free and on
to the heather. This, when pulled, came away in her hand. Her fingers
scratched upon the gravel frantically. No handfast was there. After a
moment they abandoned the search.

"Now the other arm."

This was pinioned by her supporter's. By dint, however, of almost
dislocating her shoulder, she managed to disengage it.

Again she waited for instructions.

None came, however, for Anthony could not think what to do. She could
not turn, and he could not turn her. Neither could he haul them both
up. He had not the strength. As it was, the strain upon his two arms
was frightful--too frightful to last.... If she could have held
herself for five seconds, he could have dragged himself up and the girl
after him; but she could get no shadow of hold upon the ground. And
all the time his arms were tiring--both of them--tiring rapidly....

The muscles under his arm-pits were aching unbearably, and there was a
queer tingling in his right wrist.

As he looked at this, he saw how it was quivering. His left arm was
quivering, too. He could feel it. He realized with a shock that this
was a movement over which he had no control. Nature, apparently, was
rebelling against his will.... And his fingers, crooked about the
trunk of the sapling, were getting hot--making the bark greasy....

Convulsively he sought foothold for the thirtieth time, but, except for
tweaking the agony in his chest, the effort was vain. Desperately he
blinked the sweat out of his eyes....

Patch appeared upon the scene, snuffing the ground casually enough.
His surprise to see his master in so strange an attitude was
unmistakable. After a moment's reflection he decided that the position
was that required by the rules of a new game in which he was intended
to participate. He therefore made ready to p