that a little more exertion would bring us to the summit, and
that then in less than five minutes we should find ourselves at
the brink of the stream, which must necessarily flow on the other
side of the ridge.

'Do not,' he exclaimed, 'turn back, now that we have proceeded
thus far; for I tell you that neither of us will have the courage
to repeat the attempt, if once more we find ourselves looking up
to where we now are from the bottom of these rocks!'

I was not yet so perfectly beside myself as to be heedless of
these representations, and therefore toiled on, ineffectually
endeavouring to appease the thirst which consumed me, by thinking
that in a short time I should be able to gratify it to my heart's
content.

At last we gained the top of the second elevation, the loftiest
of those I have described as extending in parallel lines
between us and the valley we desired to reach. It commanded a
view of the whole intervening distance; and, discouraged as I was
by other circumstances, this prospect plunged me into the very
depths of despair. Nothing but dark and fearful chasms,
separated by sharp-crested and perpendicular ridges as far as the
eye could reach. Could we have stepped from summit to summit of
these steep but narrow elevations we could easily have
accomplished the distance; but we must penetrate to the bottom of
every yawning gulf, and scale in succession every one of the
eminences before us. Even Toby, although not suffering as I did,
was not proof against the disheartening influences of the sight.