at him. He was close to the flowers
now, and just before he took the last
upward step he turned and looked
down that awful height with as calm a
face as though he could have dropped
and floated unhurt to the ravine beneath.

Then with his left hand he caught
the ledge to the left, strained up, and,
holding thus, reached out with his right.
The hand closed about the cluster, and
the twig was broken. Grayson gave a
great shout then. He turned his head
as though to drop them, and, that far
away, I heard the sibilant whir of
rattles. I saw a snake's crest within a
yard of his face, and, my God! I saw
Grayson loose his left hand to guard it!
The snake struck at his arm, and Grayson
reeled and caught back once at the
ledge with his left hand. He caught
once, I say, to do him full justice; then,
without a word, he dropped--and I
swear there was a smile on his face
when he shot down past me into the
trees.


I found him down there in the ravine
with nearly every bone in his body