was just one of those swift spasms of
emotion on which, in moments of peril, the crisis usually depends. Had
Walter's will been weak, or his conscience a guilty one, or his strength
feeble, or his body unstrung by ill-health, he would have succumbed to
the sudden terror, and, fainting first, would the next instant have
rolled over the edge to sudden and inevitable death.

All these results were written before him as with fire, as he shut his
eyes and clung with tenacious grasp to the earth. But happily his mind
was strong, his conscience stainless, his powers vigorous, his body in
pure health, and in a few moments, which seemed to him an age, he had
recovered his presence of mind by one of those noble efforts which the
will is ever ready to make for those who train it right. Before he
opened his eyes he had braced himself into a thorough strength, and once
more commending himself to God, he rose firm and cool to continue his
journey, averting his glance from the spectacle of death which gleamed
below.

He found that his best plan was to fix his eyes rigidly on the path, and
not suffer them to swerve for a moment to either side. Whenever he did
so, the wavering sensation came over him again, but so long as he trod
carefully and never let his eyes wander off the place of his footsteps,
he found that he got along securely and even swiftly. He had only one
more difficulty with which to contend. In one place the sort of path
which the Razor presented was broken and crumbled away, and here
Walter's heart again sank despairingly within him, as his attention was
suddenly arrested by the additional and unexpected peril. But to turn
back was now out of the question, and as it seemed impossible to walk
for these few feet, he again knelt down, and crawled steadily along on
hands and knees, about the length of two strides, until the path was
hard and firm enough for him to proceed as before. The end was now
accomplished; in five minutes more he sprang on the broad firm side of
Bardlyn hill, and shouting aloud to relieve his spirits from their
tumult of joy and thankfulness, he raced down Bardlyn, gained very
quickly the mountain road, and ran at the top of his speed till, just as
the sun was setting, he reached the group of cottages which took their
name from the hill on which they stood.

Knocking at the first cottage, he inquired for some guide or shepherd
who was thoroughly acquainted with all the mountain paths, and wa