fixed the fact of his comrade's presence on his mind. He even
mentally figured just how long it was likely to take the other to
reach the spot where he himself had left the road; or, perhaps, that
circumstance might loom up large in his calculations.

Then he arrived at the brink of what seemed to e a precipice. The
presence of this told Hugh plainly the nature of the task that awaited
him. Someone had undoubtedly fallen over the brink, and was, even
then, hanging on desperately to some jutting rock or bush that
represented the only hope of safety from a serious fall. He threw
himself down and thrust his head out over the edge. What Hugh saw
was enough to give any boy a thrill of horror. Some ten feet below
the top a human figure sprawled, kicking with his legs in the
endeavor to find a brace for his feet. He was clinging to a bush
that seemed to be growing from the face of the precipice, and which
Hugh could see was slowly but surely giving way, one root after
another losing its grip in the soil and rocky crevices.

Hugh recognized the imperiled boy instantly, though utterly amazed at
his discovery; he could not understand for the life of him how Claude
Jardine, of all fellows in Scranton, could be placed in such a
dreadful predicament.

But Hugh did not waste a single precious second in trying to solve that
puzzle; it could be all made plain after he had managed to save the
poor chap.

"Stop kicking, and keep perfectly still, Claude!" he instantly called.

"But it's going to give way, and let me drop!" wailed the terrified boy.