"That will do, Captain Gar'ner," he said. "I am on the shelf _now_, and
have pretty good footing. Lay the line down on the snow, sir, and slide
as slowly as you can; mind and keep close at its side. I'll stand by to
fetch you up."

Gardiner understood all this perfectly, and did as he was desired to do.
By keeping near the line he reached the shelf precisely at the spot where
Stimson was ready to meet him; the latter arresting his downward movement
by throwing the weight of his own body forward to meet his officer. By
such a precaution Roswell was stopped in time, else would he have gone
over the shelf, and down a declivity that was so nearly perpendicular as
to offer no means of arresting the movement.

"And what has become of Captain Daggett?" demanded Gardiner, as soon as on
his feet again.

"I fear he has shot off the rock, sir," was the answer. "At the place
where I reached this shelf, it was so narrow I could with great difficulty
walk--could not, indeed, had not the line been there to steady me; and,
judging from the marks in the snow, the poor man has gone down helpless!"

This was appalling intelligence to receive at such a time, and in such a
place! But, Roswell was not unmanned by it; on the contrary, he acted
coolly and with great judgment. Making a coil of the ratlin-stuff, he
threw the line down until certain it reached bottom, at the distance of
about six fathoms. Then he caused Stimson to brace himself firmly, holding
on to the line, aided by a turn round a rise in the rock, and he boldly
lowered himself down the precipice, reaching its base at about the
distance he had calculated so to do.