After that she hesitated no longer, but rushed to the rocky top of the
peak, and in a moment she was making her way down, with as much caution
as possible, swinging from one ledge to the next, hanging on to a bush
here, and a projecting piece of rock there.

Even an expert climber, equipped with rope and sharp pointed stick,
would have found the descent difficult. And all that enabled Bessie to
succeed was her knowledge that she must.




CHAPTER X

A TERRIBLE SURPRISE


Bessie, though she had to pause more than once in her wild descent of
the rocks, dared not look back to see if the gypsy, Peter, was pursuing
her, or even whether he was looking down after her. She had two reasons.
For one thing, the task was difficult and terrifying enough as it was,
and to know that there was danger from behind, as well as the peril
involved in the descent itself, would, she feared, unnerve her.

And, moreover, even if Peter saw her, he might not, if she paid no
attention to him, suspect that she had anything to do with Dolly, or
that he and his companion had anything to dread from her. Bessie did not
know whether he would recognize her as having been at the gypsy camp
with Dolly, but she felt that it would be as well not to take the