"What is it?" she questioned, with quick catching of breath, reading

that which she could not clearly interpret in his shocked expression.

"Nothing of consequence," and he faintly endeavored to smile. "I

suppose I must have been dreaming also, and most unpleasantly. No;

please do not look down; it would only cause your head to reel, and our

upward climb is not yet completed. Do you feel strong enough now to

make another attempt to reach the top?"

His quiet spirit of assured dominance seemed to command her obedience.

With a slight shudder she glanced doubtfully up the seemingly

inaccessible height.

"Can we?" she questioned helplessly.

"We can, simply because we must," and his white teeth shut together

firmly. "There is no possibility of retracing our steps downward, but

with the help of this daylight we surely ought to be able to discover

some path leading up."

He rose cautiously to his feet, pressing her more closely against the

face of the cliff, thus holding her in comparative safety while

preventing her from glancing back into the dizzy chasm. The most

difficult portion of their journey was apparently just before them,

consisting of a series of narrow ledges, so widely separated and

irregular as to require each to assist the other while passing from

point to point. Beyond these a slender cleft, bordered by gnarled

roots of low bushes, promised a somewhat easier and securer passage

toward the summit. Hampton's face became deathly white as they began

the perilous climb, but his hand remained steady, his foot sure, while

the girl moved forward as if remaining unconscious of the presence of

danger, apparently swayed by his dominant will to do whatsoever he bade

her. More than once they tottered on the very brink, held to safety

merely by desperate clutchings at rock or shrub, yet never once did the

man loosen his guarding grasp of his companion. Pressed tightly

against the smooth rock, feeling for every crevice, every slightest

irregularity of surface, making use of creeping tendril or dead branch,

daring death along every inch of the way, these two creepers at last

attained the opening to the little gulley, and sank down, faint and

trembling, their hands bleeding, their clothing sadly torn by the sharp

ledges across which they had pulled their bodies by the sheer strength

of extended arms. Hampton panted heavily from exertion, yet the old

light of cool, resourceful daring had crept back into the gray eyes,

while the stern lines about his lips assumed pleasanter curves. The

girl glanced furtively at him, the long lashes shadowing the expression

of her lowered eyes. In spite of deep prejudice she felt impelled to

like this man; he accomplished things, and he didn't talk.




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